Department for Transport

Public Transport: Motor Vehicles

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the age of service vehicles  in (a) London and (b) England and Wales.

Jesse Norman: The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) holds technical records for public service vehicles (PSV) which includes the date of manufacture and the date of first registration. However, PSV operators are not required to specify to the Office of the Traffic Commissioner (OTC) where vehicles on their operator licence are geographically based. Neither the DVSA nor the OTC can therefore differentiate between vehicles based in London and England and Wales.

Department for Transport: Carers

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with caring responsibilities.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Department for Transport supports employees with caring responsibilities through a range of employee policies, including part-time and flexible working, job-sharing, and special and parental leave policies. The duty to support carers is taken into consideration in the development of all employee policies in the department. The department has also established a Carers’ Networks in the central department and its largest agencies to provide advice, support, help with career development and informative events for carers and their managers within the department.

Carillion

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what rail improvement contracts Carillion plc holds in (a) the West Midlands and (b) Coventry.

Joseph Johnson: The Department for Transport has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Railways: Leeds

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his oral contribution of 29 November 2017, Official Report, column.350, when he plans to meet the hon. Member for Leeds West to discuss the frequency of train services at Kirkstall Forge station in Leeds.

Joseph Johnson: As the Minister for Rail, such meetings are my responsibility and I am always happy to meet with my honourable colleague; my office will be in touch to arrange a suitable date.

Carillion

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, who the main contractor on the A59 switch island planned works is; when that work is due to start; and whether the capacity to complete the work will be affected by the liquidation of Carillion.

Jesse Norman: Highways England’s main contractor delivering its improvement scheme at Switch Island is Balfour Beatty Mott MacDonald. Work on the project is scheduled to commence on 5 February 2018 and last for twelve months. Carillion was not involved in the project, and Highways England’s capacity to complete the work will not be affected.

Carillion: High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the capacity of Kier and Eiffage to deliver the contracts for HS2 previously awarded to those companies and Carillion.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: HS2 Ltd undertook due diligence on all bids prior to the MWCC Award in July. HS2 has carried out additional due diligence and sought re-assurance of both Joint Venture partners, Kier and Eiffage, that they remain committed and capable to deliver the contract. Each company's Boards have both given that assurance and confirmed that they underwrite the performance of each other and have the capacity to deliver the HS2 contract.

High Speed Two: Secondment

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff from (a) Carillion, (b) Eiffage and (c) Kier have been (i) seconded to or (ii) worked in the offices of HS2 Ltd or his Department over the last five years.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: i) Neither the Department or HS2 Ltd have a record of any secondments from a) Carillion, (b) Eiffage and (c) Kier since 2012. ii) Neither the Department or HS2 Ltd hold the data requested.

Carillion: High Speed 2 Railway Line

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many staff were working on the HS2 phase 1 contract at Carillion when that company went into liquidation; and whether under the terms of the HS2 contract with CEK JV those staff will be offered a TUPE transfer to Kier or Eiffage.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The number of Carillion staff employed in the joint venture working on HS2 Phase One on Monday 15 January, date of liquidation, was 51. Eiffage and Kier’s aim is to make an offer to bring all 51 employees into either company; however not necessarily all will take up that offer. Discussions led by senior representatives from Eiffage and Kier are proposing that all Carillion staff deployed on the HS2 project would be given offers to remain on the project with equivalent service conditions as before to ensure continuity of service to HS2.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Urban Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment his Department has made of the cumulative effect of the closure of (a) banks, (b) post offices, (c) building societies and (d) pubs on the sustainability of high streets.

Andrew Griffiths: Holding answer received on 16 January 2018



The Government does not make assessments of the impact bank, post office, building society branch, or pub closures have on the sustainability of high streets. While the decision to close a branch remains a commercial judgement for individual banks and building societies, the impact on communities must be understood, considered and mitigated where possible.The industry’s Access to Banking Standard, launched in May 2017, commits banks and building societies to ensure personal and business customers are better informed about branch closures and the reasons for them closing, along with the options they have locally to continue to access banking services, including specialist assistance for customers who need more help. The Access to Banking Standard is monitored and enforced by the independent Lending Standards Board.99% of banks’ personal and 95% of banks’ business customers are now able to withdraw cash, deposit cash and cheques, and make balance enquiries at a Post Office counter via its network of 11,600 branches. At Autumn Budget 2017, the then Economic Secretary to the Treasury wrote to the Post Office and UK Finance to ask them to raise public awareness of the banking services available at the Post Office for individuals and SMEs.Since 2010, Government has invested over £2billion in to the Post Office network, with a further £370m announced on 20 December. This has led to the most stable number of branches in the network for decades.The Post Office continues to meet its access criteria with 99.7% of the total population living within 3 miles of a Post Office.The Government recognises the importance of pubs to communities and the high street. To support pubs and local industries, and recognising that alcohol duties already rose by inflation earlier this year, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced at Autumn Budget 2017 that he was freezing all alcohol duties. Pubs play an important role in local communities and help promote responsible drinking. Freezing beer duty rates this year helps pubs: the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) estimate around two thirds of the alcohol sold in pubs is beer. At Spring Budget 2017, the Chancellor announced a package of support for pubs in England with their business rates. This provided a £1,000 discount to all pubs with a rateable value of less than £100,000. This scheme was extended by an additional year into 2018/19 at Autumn Budget.Additionally, the Chancellor brought forward the planned switch in the indexation of business rates from RPI to CPI by two years to 2018. This will benefit all businesses on the UK high street and represents a cut in business rates every year from April 2018. In total, the switch from RPI to CPI is worth £4.1bn by 2023.

Waste Heat Recovery

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, with reference to concerns about water usage in the Government's Chief Scientific Advisor's report, From Waste to Resource Productivity, published on 14 December 2017, if he will take steps to promote stored passive flue gas heat recovery systems which enable consumers to save on water use as well as energy use.

Claire Perry: Under the right circumstances flue gas heat recovery technology can lead to significant savings for householders. In October 2017 my department published new standards for domestic boiler installations that will come into force in April 2018. The new standards will require installers to ensure, whenever they are employed to install a boiler, that the household heating system is equipped with an appropriate energy saving device. The standard is flexible to empower consumers to decide what kind of energy saving measure is best for their home. One of the options is flue gas heat recovery, which means that from April I expect to see this technology being installed wherever it is the best option for driving efficiency and reducing consumers’ bills.With regards to more general flue gas heat recovery system, my Department has just finished consulting on an Industrial Heat Recovery Support Programme, which I aim to launch in the summer.

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent discussions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have had with the First Minister of Wales on proposed investment by the Welsh Government in respect of the Swansea Bay Tidal Lagoon.

Richard Harrington: Ministers and officials in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regularly discuss matters of mutual interest with their counterparts in the devolved administrations.

Economic Situation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether he has made an estimate of the value of early-phase research to the UK economy in the last 12 months.

Mr Sam Gyimah: Holding answer received on 18 January 2018



The Industrial Strategy White Paper sets out the central role of science in meeting the UK’s productivity challenge.We get a high rate of return for our investment in Science – 20% per annum in perpetuity - and the UK research base is highly productive in terms of article and citation outputs per researcher and per pound spent on R&D. With only 0.9% of the global population, 4.1% of researchers, the UK accounts for 6.3% of research articles, 10.7% of citations and 15.2% of the most highly-cited research articles.The UK has the largest independent multi-year rolling programme for evaluating the quality and impact of our investment in science through the Research Excellence Framework (REF). The 2014 REF, which reported in 2015, found that the quality of research from UK universities has improved significantly since 2008, consistent with other independent evidence. Just over three quarters of submissions were either ‘World Class’ or ‘Internationally Excellent’. Preparations for the next REF due in 2021 have already started.

Solar Power

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, how much solar energy has been contracted under the contract for difference scheme since 2015.

Richard Harrington: Two solar PV projects totalling nearly 23 MW are currently receiving support under the Contracts for Difference scheme. Details of the projects are in the table. Project nameLocationCapacity (MW)Date became operationalCharity FarmNorth Shropshire, England11.9430/6/2016Triangle Farm Solar ParkSouth East Cambridgeshire, England10.9018/7/2017 A third solar project, Netley Landfill Solar, had its contract terminated following its failure to commission within the contractual deadline. The LCCC, which is a Government-owned arm’s length body, administers the CFD scheme and publishes information about projects supported by the CFD scheme on their website in a CFD Register - https://lowcarboncontracts.uk/cfds.

Energy: Households

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January 2018 to Question 121674, for what reasons the calculation of projected savings under the new energy cap uses data on average consumption when people in receipt of the Warm Home Discount or in fuel poverty consume below that average consumption.

Claire Perry: Ofgem’s decision to extend the Pre Payment Meter safeguard tariff to those consumers in receipt of Warm Home Discount (WHD) was published on 7 December 2017 and is available at:https://www.ofgem.gov.uk/system/files/docs/2017/12/decision_letter_whd_safeguard_tariff_-_final.pdf.In their decision, Ofgem describe their reasons for calculating projected savings under the energy price cap based on the Typical Domestic Consumption Value. They note the possibility that vulnerable customers may be more likely to be within lower consumption brackets than the Typical Domestic Consumption Value, and this could lead to an overestimation of the available savings within their impact assessment. However, they also note that consumption levels for all customers, including those considered vulnerable, are likely to vary considerably. Given the desire to implement the cap for these vulnerable customers quickly, and the lack of consumption data specific to WHD customers, Ofgem did not factor this into their analysis.

Energy: Prices

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons the impact assessment for the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill does not include quantitative data on the effect of a price cap on (a) investment in the energy sector and (b) customers.

Claire Perry: As set out in the Impact Assessment for the draft Bill, the costs and benefits will depend on the detailed methodology the independent regulator Ofgem adopts to set the level of a tariff cap. The Government does not wish to prejudice the deliberations of Ofgem’s work in establishing the methodology, and has therefore not included quantified analysis of the costs and benefits in the Impact Assessment, but has included a qualitative discussion.

Energy: Prices

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill proposes to remove the right of energy companies to appeal to the Competition and Markets Authority.

Claire Perry: The draft Bill would place a new duty on Ofgem to implement a cap on standard variable and default tariffs, so it does not remove an existing right of appeal. Energy companies would be able to challenge Ofgem’s decision on the setting of the cap by way of judicial review, and the Government believes that a Court is capable of considering these matters.

Energy: Prices

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, for what reasons the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill proposes to require Ofgem to review the energy price cap once a year from 2020 rather than keeping the price cap under constant review.

Claire Perry: The review in 2020, and in 2021 and 2022 if the cap remains in place, will inform Ofgem’s report on whether the conditions for effective competition are in place, and Ofgem’s recommendation. This will inform the Secretary of State’s decision on whether the cap should remain in force. It would not be practicable to keep the need for the price cap under constant review, however, in designing the method for setting the level of the price cap we would expect that Ofgem would need to consider how to take account of relevant short-term changes in the market.

Energy: Prices

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether the proposed provisions of the draft Domestic Gas and Electricity (Tariff Cap) Bill would permit him to remove the energy price cap in the event that such a removal would have a deleterious effect on (a) competition in the energy market and (b) energy customers.

Claire Perry: Ofgem would set the level of the price cap in a way such that, amongst other things, it would maintain incentives for switching and enable effective competition. The price cap would be lifted once the conditions for effective competition are in place in accordance with the process in clause 6.

Carillion: Debts

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of (a) the amount of money owed by Carillion to and (b) the number of self-employed sub-contactor creditors of Carillion for (i) public sector and (ii) private sector contracts.

Andrew Griffiths: The nature of Carillion business means that it sub-contracts significant proportions of its work, with the potential for those sub-contractors to sub-contract out further elements.At this stage in the liquidation process it is too soon for the Liquidator to have gathered in full details of the company’s debts and creditors. The Liquidation process for such a complex and interconnected group of companies will take some time. The Official receiver and his Special Managers have access to the records of the company and will be analysing these over the coming days.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Rohingya: Sexual Offences

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to improve the UK's diplomatic response following sexually violent incidents resulting from the current, ongoing Rohingya crisis.

Mark Field: The Government has been clear in it's condemnation of the terrible atrocities that have occurred in Rakhine State and has now raised Burma five times at the UN Security Council. The Burmese authorities must heed the call of the UN Security Council to make Rakhine safe for refugee returns and ensure accountability for human rights violations. We have made clear to the governments of Burma and Bangladesh that any returns must have international oversight.As one of the largest bilateral donors to Bangladesh, UK aid is helping to provide psychological support to over 10,000 women suffering from the trauma of war and over 2,000 survivors of sexual violence. We are supporting the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to operate five mobile medical teams and five health posts for sexual violence survivors, and we are supporting UNICEF protection initiatives including 30 Child Friendly Spaces.Following the deployment of civilian experts last November we are now working to reduce any further risks of gender based violence and to create a safer environment for women and girls in the camps. We are also working to determine how the PSVI Team of Experts can best support the gathering of evidence of sexual violence for future accountability purposes.

West Bank: Demolition

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the effect of planned demolitions in the West Bank village of Susiya on the viability of a future Palestinian state incorporating Area C of the occupied West Bank.

Alistair Burt: ​We are gravely concerned by the proposals to demolish around 30% of the structures in the West Bank village of Susiya. Senior officials most recently raised the planned demolitions in Susiya with the Israeli Ambassador to London on 8 January. I visited Susiya and discussed the threat of forcible transfer with the Susiya Bedouin community on 21 August 2017 during my visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We encourage Israel to cease its counter-productive policy of demolitions, and provide a transparent route to construction for Palestinians in Area C of the West Bank. Demolitions and evictions of Palestinians from their homes cause unnecessary suffering to ordinary Palestinians; call into question Israel’s commitment to a viable two-state solution; and, in all but the most exceptional cases, are contrary to International Humanitarian Law.

Tanzania: Offences against Children

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what reports his Department has received on pardons being given to child rapists in Tanzania; and if he will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: We are aware of the presidential pardons in Tanzania. We have increased our efforts to tackle the exploitation of children directly, as part of the Prime Minister's Modern Slavery agenda, and seek to prevent violence and abuse against children in Tanzania.

Tanzania: Offences against Children

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make an assessment of the veracity of reports that the Commissioner of the Mwanza region of Tanzania, John Mongella, has called for pregnant school girls to be arrested and forced to testify against the persons who impregnated them in court.

Harriett Baldwin: We are aware of comments made by the Regional Commissioner. The former Minister for Africa, Rory Stewart OBE, raised his concerns about access to education and training for pregnant teenage women with the Government of Tanzania when he visited Dar es Salaam in August last year. Along with international partners, we regularly raise our concerns with the Tanzanian Government, for example as recently as 8 January when the Head of DFID met with the Minister of Education specifically on this issue.

Ilois: Resettlement

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department plans to review the right to return of the Chagossian people.

Sir Alan Duncan: Like successive Governments before it, the Government expresses its sincere regret about the manner in which Chagossians were removed from BIOT in the 1960s and 1970s. For the reasons set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 16 November 2016, the Government does not intend to reverse its decision against resettlement. In light of that decision, the Government has not reconsidered the prohibition on right of entry established under the 2004 BIOT (Constitution) Order. The Government is continuing its work with Chagossian communities in Mauritius, Seychelles and the UK with regard to how to implement the approximately £40 million support package which was announced at the same time.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Carers

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with caring responsibilities.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​The Foreign and Commonwealth Office's (FCO) Carers Charter sets out the FCO's policies that can help staff who have a caring responsibility balance their work and caring commitments. The FCO supports the Charity for Civil Servants' Carer's Passport initiative.The FCO is supported in this area by the Diplomatic Staff Families Association Carers Network, which is a place where staff can share their experiences of reconciling work and care commitments; acts as a gateway to resources for carers; and disseminates information about caring.

Idil Eser

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he has made representations to the Turkish Government on the arrest of Amnesty International's Director for Turkey, Idil Eser; and if he will make a statement.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​We have made frequent representations to the Turkish government about the case of Idil Eser and other human rights defenders at the highest possible level. The Prime Minister did so most recently when she met her Turkish counterpart on 27 November 2017. The Foreign Secretary and I have also raised the issue. We continue to urge Turkey to ensure that all citizens receive appropriate and fair treatment under Turkish law and that their human rights are fully respected.

Cambodia: Politics and Government

Martin Whitfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to promote the upholding of political rights in the state of Cambodia.

Mark Field: ​We are deeply concerned about the series of steps taken by the Cambodian authorities and its Supreme Court, which threaten to undermine free and fair elections in Cambodia in 2018.I met Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn at the Asia-Europe Meeting in November and Cambodian Ambassador to the UK Dr Soeung earlier this month. I expressed my concern at the dissolution of the CNRP, arrest of opposition leader Kem Sokha and treatment of journalists.We have worked with EU partners to remove further support for Cambodian electoral reform and process, and are considering with EU partners what further steps we shall take in response to this disturbing development.

Mali: Religious Freedom

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of religious freedom in Mali; and what steps the Government is taking to promote and protect the right to freedom of religion or belief in that country.

Harriett Baldwin: The Algiers Accord of 2015 – signed between Tuareg-led rebels and the Malian Government - cites respect for religious freedom as one of its core principles. The UK continues to call on all parties to ensure full implementation of the Accord. Additionally, the UK has supported a Community Reconciliation and Peacebuilding Project for the past three financial years, which works with communities in Mali, including mixed faith communities, to promote mutual understanding and reduce conflict.

Sri Lanka: Religious Freedom

Kevin Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of religious freedom in Sri Lanka; and what steps the Government is taking to promote and protect the right to freedom of religion or belief in that country.

Mark Field: The Government is concerned by the increase in the number of incidents of religious violence and ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka in 2017. We condemn all violence against religious minorities. The freedom to practise, change or share your faith or belief without discrimination or violent opposition is a fundamental human right that all people should enjoy. The UK regularly raises human rights concerns with the Sri Lankan government.Through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's work, we seek to work with other states to promote and protect the right to freedom of religion or belief. We work in the UN to ensure that states implement Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18, on combatting religious intolerance, protecting the human rights of minorities and promoting pluralism in society. We work with the UN to support all communities in Sri Lanka , and have committed £6.6 million from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) to help Sri Lanka implement its human rights commitments.

Uzbekistan: Religious Freedom

Christian Matheson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the level of religious freedom in Uzbekistan; and what steps the Government is taking to promote and protect the right to freedom of religion or belief in that country.

Sir Alan Duncan: ​In October 2017 Dr Ahmed Shaheed, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, spent two weeks in Uzbekistan. He was received by the government, travelled to the regions, met religious groups, civil society and visited Jaslyk prison. We agree with his initial report which recognised Uzbekistan's relatively tolerant approach to the major religions and acknowledged the measures taken over the past year. These were mainly towards the Muslim communities; the review of prisoners which has led to several releases; the removal of 16000 names from a government watch list for suspected religious extremism, along with the reintegration of those individuals and rehabilitation of prisoners. His report also set out recommendations for reducing the legal constraints around religious practice.We regularly raise individual human rights cases with the Uzbek authorities and play an active and visible part in human rights activities in Uzbekistan. We have stressed the importance of constructive, private dialogue on human rights issues, including the freedom of religious expression. On 27 October our Ambassador highlighted the importance of freedom of religion or belief and Dr Shaheed's recommendations in a video on Facebook. We expectDr Shaheed's report to the UN Human Rights Council in March.

British Overseas Territories

Anna McMorrin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government will match the level of EU funding provided to British Overseas Territories after the UK leaves the EU.

Sir Alan Duncan: Holding answer received on 18 January 2018



The UK and Overseas Territory Governments share a responsibility to the British citizens living in those territories to help enable them to lead secure, stable and more prosperous lives. The UK will remain party to the European Development Fund (EDF) until the closure of the 11th EDF, and we expect to confirm the arrangements for preserving the UK's Overseas Territories' EDF funding in the next phase of negotiations. After we leave the EU we will want to take our own decisions about how to deliver the policy objectives previously targeted by EU funding.

Iran: Protest

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Iranian counterpart on the protests in that country that began on 28 December 2017.

Alistair Burt: On 11 January, the Foreign Secretary discussed Iran's response to the recent protests with Foreign Minister Zarif. He underlined the point he had made in his January statement, emphasising in particular that there should be a meaningful debate about the issues protestors were raising and that international obligations on human rights should be observed.

Nepal: Christianity

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Nepalese Government on recent levels of persecution of Christians and moves to close Christian orphanages.

Mark Field: ​We raise the importance of ensuring freedom of religion or belief with the Nepali government on a regular basis. I raised these issues most recently with Nepali Ambassador on 9 October 2017 and when I wrote to Prime Minister Deuba on 2 November 2017. Our Embassy in Kathmandu monitors the human rights situation closely and has consistently encouraged the Government of Nepal and members of Nepal's parliament to ensure Nepal meets its international human rights obligations, including freedom of religion or belief, and we will continue to do so.

Turkey: Foreign Relations

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when he last met with his Turkish counterpart; and what issues were discussed at that meeting.

Sir Alan Duncan: The Foreign Secretary met Foreign Minister Çavuşoğlu, on 16 January. The Foreign Secretary and I have regular conversations with our Turkish counterparts in which we discuss the full range of our shared security, prosperity and consular priorities including the rule of law and human rights situation in Turkey, counter terrorism and regional security, and bilateral trade.

Middle East: Religious Freedom

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations at the UN on the increase in persecution of Christians and other non-Muslim religions in the Middle East and steps to prevent such persecution.

Alistair Burt: ​Her Majesty's Government consistently promotes and defends the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in a variety of ways, including at the United Nations. For example, we work to sustain UN Human Rights Council consensus on the adoption and implementation of the European Union sponsored Resolution on 'Freedom of Religion or Belief' and the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation sponsored Resolution on 'Combating Religious Intolerance'. Furthermore, the FCO minister with direct responsibility for human rights, Lord Ahmad, stressed the importance of working to defend the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) when he addressed the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in September, 2017.Foreign and Commonwealth Office ministers and officials routinely raise individual cases and highlight practices and laws that discriminate against people on the basis of their religion or belief. We also continue to support a number of projects to promote tolerance through the FCO's Magna Carta Fund, including a project to promote the teaching of religious tolerance in more than 50 secondary schools in Iraq, Lebanon, and Morocco.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Carers

Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with caring responsibilities.

Oliver Dowden: Work is underway to explore the implementation of a Carer’s policy in 2018. Carers are, however, entitled to apply for paid special leave and/or unpaid career breaks as set out the special leave policy and can access support and counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme. Cabinet Office recognises the importance of supporting carers in the workplace, and has recently signed up to a 3rd year of membership to Employers for Carers, a website enabling employees to access online tools, training and support, backed up by specialist knowledge from Carers UK - Cabinet Office Charity of the Year in 2015. In addition, we have also established a Carer’s Network, championed at a senior level, with the aim of providing support and advice to employees with caring responsibilities. We encourage blog posts to raise awareness of carers in the workplace, actively promote initiatives such as Carer’s Week, and The Charity for Civil Servants also offers an advisory service to Carers within the Civil Service.

Civil Servants: Surveys

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 12 January 2018 to Question 121212, what changes the Government plans to make to the Civil Service People Survey in order to measure the extent of presenteeism.

Oliver Dowden: The questionnaire for the 2018 Civil Service People Survey is not yet finalised. Proposals for changes to the questionnaire will be considered in consultation with relevant stakeholders and building on the available evidence. Presenteeism is one area being actively considered. Limited changes are made to the questionnaire over time to maintain a useful time series and to keep the survey at a manageable length. Changes that have been made are outlined each year, when results are published, at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/civil-service-people-surveys#annual-results-across-the-civil-service

Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund

Alex Sobel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much and what proportion of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Scheme is invested (a) directly and (b) indirectly in (i) oil, (ii) gas and (ii) coal industries.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much and what proportion of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Scheme is invested in companies or conglomerates involved in the (a) extraction, (b) transportation, (c) sale and (d) supply of (i) oil, (ii) gas and (iii) coal.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much and what proportion of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Scheme is invested (a) directly and (b) indirectly in tobacco industries.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much and what proportion of the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Scheme is invested (a) directly and (b) indirectly in renewable energy industries.

Oliver Dowden: Investment decisions within the Parliamentary Contributory Pension Fund are a matter for the Trustees who receive professional advice regarding decisions on the management of scheme assets. Details of the schemes investments are set out each year in a published Annual Review.

Carillion: Ministerial Powers

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether any Ministerial directions were issued in respect of the Government's contracting with Carillion plc in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Oliver Dowden: Ministerial Directions have not been issued by departments.

British Telecom

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, at what times the position of Crown Representative to BT plc was vacant during the last twelve months.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, at what times the position of Crown Representative to DHL was vacant during the last twelve months.

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, at what times the position of Crown Representative to Engie was vacant during the last twelve months.

Oliver Dowden: We currently have Crown Representatives assigned to BT and Engie, but not DHL.While Crown Representative positions are vacant, the responsibilities of the role were covered by the Government’s Chief Commercial Officer and the Cabinet Office Director of Markets and Suppliers.This is standard practice to cover the role when no Crown Representative is currently appointed for a strategic supplier.

Devolved Matters: Procurement

Bill Esterson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the Agreement on Government Procurement, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of existing devolution arrangements for procurement after the UK leaves the EU.

Oliver Dowden: The current public procurement rules will continue to apply until the UK has left the EU following the successful conclusion of exit negotiations. The longer-term opportunities for our procurement regulations are being considered carefully.

Government Departments: Procurement

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the liquidation of Carillion, whether any services provided by the other 29 strategic suppliers to Government are similarly exposed.

Oliver Dowden: We monitor the financial health of all of our strategic suppliers. We are in regular discussions with all these companies regarding their financial position. At this time we do not believe that any of our major suppliers are in a comparable position to Carillion.

Carillion

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his oral statement of 15 January 2018, Official Record, column.627, on Carillion, which schools are holding contracts with Carillion in England.

Oliver Dowden: There are fewer than 250 schools covered by direct contracts with Carillion. We are working with a number of local authorities and academy trusts to ensure they have sufficient plans to continue to provide the education and services required.We have been contacting local authorities and academy trusts to support those that have contracts with Carillion. All employees should keep going in to work and they will continue to be paid. Staff that are engaged on public sector contracts still have important work to do.

Department of Health and Social Care

Medical Equipment

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of technology appraisals on medical technologies, devices and diagnostics that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence undertakes over the next five years.

Steve Brine: From April 2018 we are introducing a new Accelerated Access Pathway (AAP), to streamline regulatory and market access decisions, getting breakthrough and transformative products to patients more quickly. All products including medical technologies, devices and diagnostics will be eligible for selection. The AAP will complement existing activity and involve a significant role for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), building on existing momentum such as NICE's Fast Track Appraisal Process.

Medical Equipment

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to ensure a funding requirement is placed on medical technologies, devices and diagnostics that receive a positive technology appraisal from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Steve Brine: A funding requirement automatically applies to any intervention, including medical technologies, devices and diagnostics, recommended in technology appraisal guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, in line with the NHS Constitution.

Slaughterhouses: Inspections

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2017 to Question 118905, on Slaughterhouses: Inspections, what the types of audit outcomes that can be awarded to a meat establishment are; and what types of violations each such audit outcome covers.

Steve Brine: The audit outcomes for Food Standards Agency (FSA) approved meat establishments are: - Good: No issues of significance for public health animal health or animal welfare during the entire period;- Generally Satisfactory: No immediate issues of significance for public health, animal health or animal welfare identified on the day of the audit. Any non-compliances (NCs) identified during the audit period corrected promptly;- Improvement Necessary: Major NCs identified at audit and / or NCs during the audit period not always responded to and corrected promptly; and- Urgent Improvement Necessary: Multiple major NCs or critical NC identified during audit visit or interim audit period. Official intervention required to ensure public health safeguards. Audit outcomes are based on the number and categorisation of non-compliances raised by the FSA veterinary auditors against an audit question. Each question can be assessed as: - Compliant - Food business is operating in accordance with its food safety management systems, food safety standards and has met the requirements of the regulations;- Minor – (NCs) Not likely to compromise public health (including food safety), animal health and welfare or lead to the handling of unsafe or unsuitable food. An isolated low risk situation and does not compromise achieving control measures of the food safety program; that is, overall the food safety program is still effective in controlling the food safety hazards. When viewed collectively a number of related minor NCs may represent a major NC;- Major – (NCs) Likely to compromise public health (including food safety) or animal health or welfare or may lead to the production and handling of unsafe or unsuitable food if no remedial action is taken. When viewed collectively a number of related major non compliances may represent a critical non-compliance; and- Critical - Contravention poses an imminent and serious risk to public health (including food safety) or animal health and welfare. The number of major and critical NCs raised during an audit will drive the final outcome of the audit.

Slaughterhouses: Inspections

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2017 to Question 118905, on Slaughterhouses: Inspections, what types of businesses are classed by his Department as meat establishments.

Steve Brine: The following establishments are considered meat establishments by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and are subject to official controls enforced and executed by the FSA:- Slaughterhouses;- Farm slaughter facilities;- Game handling establishments; and- Cutting plants.

Slaughterhouses: Inspections

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2017 to Question 118905, on Slaughterhouses: Inspections what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the difference in the comparative rate of unsatisfactory audit results for slaughterhouses and other meat establishments.

Steve Brine: Although the Food Standards Agency audit system was designed to take into account the variations between establishments, there are several issues that can led to different compliance levels between abattoirs and other establishments:- Abattoirs have a larger list of sections and questions to be assessed against, and therefore there are more chances for non-compliances (NCs) to be raised. One of these sections is animal welfare, where incidents leading or potentially leading to animal suffering will immediately default to a major or critical NC, impacting directly on the final audit outcome; and- Slaughterhouses do normally perform higher risk operations than cutting plants, which gives further opportunity for non-compliances to be raised.

Slaughterhouses: Inspections

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20th December 2017 to Question 118904, on Slaughterhouses: Inspections, what constitutes an (a) imminent risk to public health and (b) serious breaches in animal welfare standards.

Steve Brine: Chapter 4.1 of the Food Standards Agency Manual for Official Controls includes some examples on what an imminent risk to public health risk and animal welfare, in the definition of critical non-compliance (NC). Critical (NC): A critical NC is one where the contravention poses an imminent and serious risk to public health (including food safety), animal health and welfare. Examples (not exhaustive): - systemic failure of critical aspects of the food business operator practices and procedures for implementing food safety, animal health and welfare regulatory requirements;- a serious pest infestation;- intentional falsification of records;- the same chopping board and knife being used for ready to eat food after being used for raw chicken without being cleaned and sanitised;- evidence of pest control chemicals such as rat bait in food;- raw meat juices dripping onto uncovered ready to eat food; and- repetitive (more than once) major NC for the same practice or circumstance.

Slaughterhouses: Inspections

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 December 2017 to Question 118905, on Slaughterhouses: Inspections, which slaughterhouse and meat establishments had their approval withdrawn; and for what reason their approval was withdrawn.

Steve Brine: Establishments who have had their approval withdrawn since 2010 are listed below, together with the main reason for its withdrawal. Slaughterhouses: - S Bagshaw and Sons - Welfare abuse;- Central Meat Company Limited - Serious deficiencies in operational hygiene procedures;- Simply Halal (Banham) Limited - Welfare abuse; and- Summers Poultry Products Limited - Serious deficiencies in operational hygiene procedures. Cutting plants: - KNK Pure Halal Poultry Limited – Serious deficiencies in operational hygiene procedures;- Sherban Halal Poultry – Serious deficiencies in operational hygiene procedures;- James Mitchell Halal Meat and Poultry Limited – Serious deficiencies in operational hygiene procedures; and- Premium Halal Meat Poultry Limited - Serious deficiencies in operational hygiene procedures.

Ambulance Services: Emergency Calls

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the ability of ambulance services in (a) England and (b) Gloucestershire to meet their targets for attending emergency calls; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay: Following a rigorous and independent evaluation of the clinically-led Ambulance Response Programme, in July 2017 the Department agreed NHS England’s recommendations to implement an improved ambulance performance framework. These changes improve responses to patients and the efficiency and resiliency of the ambulance service in the face of rising demand. All mainland National Health Service ambulance trusts are now operating against this new framework, and the ambulance service on the Isle of Wight will do so from April 2018. We recognise that trusts are not yet meeting all of the required standards, however NHS England and NHS Improvement are working closely with the service to assist them to effectively perform against these new requirements, and NHS England will undertake a review of the framework in spring 2018.

NHS: Drugs

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Annex B of NHS England’s publication, Biological Medicines Commissioning Framework, published on 12 September 2017, how commissioners should assess value added services offered by manufacturers including (a) patient support programmes and (b) other value added services.

Steve Brine: Through competitive tenders undertaken by NHS England’s commercial medicines unit, value added services are not scored as part of the award criteria and the competition focuses only on the specific product. Companies are free to include any information concerning additional services they may offer with the tender.

Cancer: Finance

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 30 November 2017 to Question 115987, on Cancer: Finance, how much transformation funding has been allocated to each of those Cancer Alliances in the financial year 2017-2018 for (a) improving early diagnosis and (b) the roll out of personalised follow-up after cancer treatment.

Steve Brine: NHS England is still in the process of allocating funding to Cancer Alliances. As a result this information is not yet available in the format requested.

Orkambi

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people with cystic fibrosis who would be eligible for treatment with the drug Orkambi if it were available on the NHS.

Steve Brine: The number of patients aged 12 and over with cystic fibrosis homozygous for the F508del mutation, in the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (NICE) guidance, that might be eligible for treatment with Orkambi (lumacaftor-ivacaftor) under its marketing authorisation was estimated to be approximately 4,000 during the topic selection considerations that led to the referral of Orkambi to NICE.

Orkambi

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the potential savings accruing to the public purse from reduced hospital admissions in the event that Orkambi were to be made available on the NHS.

Steve Brine: The Department has made no estimate. Through its technology appraisal programme, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) provides authoritative, evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on whether drugs and other treatments represent a clinically and cost effective use of resources. In developing its guidance, NICE takes into account all the costs and savings associated with the treatment.

Dental Services

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average value of Units of Dental Activity (UDA) was in (a) Bradford South constituency, (b) Yorkshire and Humber and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value was of contracted Units of Dental Activity commissioned in (a) Bradford South constituency, (b) Yorkshire and Humber and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value was of contracted Units of Dental Activity as a proportion of the health spending by NHS England in (a) Bradford South constituency, (b) Yorkshire and Humber and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: Information on the value of units of dental activity is not held centrally in the form requested. It is not, therefore, possible to provide information on the value, average value or the value as a proportion of the health spending of NHS England of contracted units of dental activity commissioned in Bradford South constituency, Yorkshire and Humber and England in each of the last five years.

Dental Services

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many providers were commissioned to deliver Units of Dental Activity in (a) Bradford South constituency, (b) Yorkshire and Humber and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many providers of Units of Dental Activity were decommissioned in (a) Bradford South constituency, (b) Yorkshire and Humber and (c) England in each of the last five years.

Steve Brine: This information is not held centrally.

Orkambi: Republic of Ireland

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his Irish counterpart on the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi in treating cystic fibrosis.

Steve Brine: The Government corresponded with the Government of the Republic of Ireland in early 2017 in relation to the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.

Orkambi: Germany

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has discussed with his German counterpart the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi in that country's health service treatment of cystic fibrosis.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his Austrian counterpart on the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi in treating cystic fibrosis.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his Danish counterpart on the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi in treating cystic fibrosis.

David Linden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health of Social Care, whether he has had recent discussions with his French counterpart on the cost-effectiveness of Orkambi in treating cystic fibrosis.

Steve Brine: We have had no such discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) assessed the cost benefit of Orkambi and was unable to recommend it. Vertex has been encouraged to engage in negotiations with NHS England and if it comes forward with a new proposal, NICE will be able to reconsider.

Carillion

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the value is of NHS contracts with Carillion plc.

Stephen Barclay: This response distinguishes between Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and Non-PFI contracts National Health Service trusts hold with Carillion. For NHS PFI contracts where Carillion provides services, the service cost components of the annual PFI payment by NHS trusts, as reported by the trusts for the last closed financial year (2016/17), are in the table below. The services that Carillion provide are for building maintenance, usually referred to as ‘Hard’ Facilities Management or ‘Hard FM’; and non-clinical support services (one of a combination of cleaning, portering, laundry and others), usually referred to as ‘Soft’ Facilities Management or ‘Soft FM’. PFI contracts where Carillion provides servicesTrustServices2016/17  £ millionPFI Contract Award DateDartford and Gravesham NHS Trust (Darent Valley Hospital)Hard and Soft FM£11.5 million30 July 1997South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust  (James Cook Hospital)Hard and Soft FM£26.6 million16 August 1999Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Swindon)Hard and Soft FM£12.3 million05 October 1999North Staffs Combined NHS Foundation Trust (Harplands Hospital)Hard and Soft FM£4.1 million08 December 1999Cambridge University Hospitals  NHS Foundation Trust (Addenbrooke’s treatment centre)Hard FM only£2.1 million27 October 2004Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (3 Shires Batch)Hard FM only£0.9 million*09 October 2007Leicester Partnership NHS Trust  (3 Shires Batch)Hard FM onlyN/A**19 June 2007Lincolnshire Community NHS Trust  (3 Shires Batch)Hard FM only£0.7 million*01 May 2007Oxford University Hospitals NHS FT  (John Radcliffe)Hard and Soft FM£18.3 million19 December 2003Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust (Queen Alexandra Hospital)Hard and Soft FM£25.8 million15 December 2005North Bristol NHS Trust (Southmead)Hard FM only£5.5 million25 February 2010Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust (Roseberry Park)Hard FM only£2.0 million12 December 2007Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS TrustInterim FM services on NHS retained estate£3.2 million13 December 2013* Source: HM Treasury PFI data reporting. All others are Trust 2016/17 published Annual Reports** Very small project below reporting thresholds, annual services estimated at less than £1.0 million. For Non-PFI NHS Contracts with Carillion, the cost of services as reported by the trusts for the last closed financial year (2016/17), are in the table below.Non-PFI direct NHS contracts with CarillionTrustServices2016/17  £ millionContract Award DateRoyal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS TrustHard FM£2.0 million9 May 2017Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Swindon)Hard and Soft FM£0.6 millionTaken over services from clinical commissioning groupNottingham University Hospitals NHS TrustCar park servicesIncome sharing mechanism1 April 2017

Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions he has had with Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust to ensure that the new hospital is delivered without further delay; and if he will make a statement.

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timetable is for the completion of the new Royal Liverpool Hospital; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay: NHS Improvement and the Department are working closely with the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals Trust and their private sector partners to minimise the impact of the Carillion liquidation and any resulting delay to the completion of these buildings. The administration or liquidation of a contractor part way through a build is something that unfortunately does occasionally happen within the industry, and as a result there are already sound and robust processes in place for such a circumstance. Construction work has been temporarily paused on site, to understand what the next steps are for handing over construction. There is planning in place to ensure the delay is minimal and we expect work to restart as quickly as possible.

Prescription Drugs: Prices

Mark Menzies: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 18 December 2017 to Question 119906, what steps he took to ascertain why the market price of amlodipine 5mg tablets was above the reimbursement price listed in the Drug Tariff prior to granting a concessionary price.

Steve Brine: Before granting a concessionary price we contact suppliers to ascertain that the product was not available at or below the reimbursement price listed in the Drug Tariff. While a specific assessment was not made as to why this particular product was not available at or below the reimbursement price listed in the Drug Tariff, we are aware of a number of reasons for the pressure in the supply chain generally.

Prescriptions: Fees and Charges

Layla Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2018 to Question 122208, if he will make it his policy to conduct an assessment of the potential merits of issuing maternity exemption certificates to people taking adoption leave.

Steve Brine: The Department has no plans to undertake an assessment of the potential merits of issuing maternity exemption certificates to people taking adoption leave. Almost 90% of prescription items are free on the National Health Service in England and for those who do not qualify for an exemption, prescription prepayment certificates are available. A holder of a 12 month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just £2 per week.

Carillion

Mrs Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an assessment of the effect of Carillion plc's collapse on the Liverpool Hospital Company; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Barclay: The Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract between the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust and the PFI Project Company – The Hospital Company (Liverpool) Holdings Ltd - is still in place, which means that the Company is still contractually obliged to manage the project and source a construction firm or subcontractor who can continue the building work. This is important for the Trust and also an incentive for Liverpool Hospital Company to minimise delay. Additionally, the Department and NHS Improvement have been supporting the Trust with contingency planning for this to ensure there is minimal disruption.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress is being made on delivering the recommendation of the Mental Health Taskforce Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, published in January 2016, on revisiting membership of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation with the specific goal of ensuring that mental health expertise is adequately represented across the disciplines involved.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation covers a range of technical expertise, and has experience of a range of service areas, including mental health services. In the latest recruitment for members to the Advisory Committee, NHS England highlighted its interest in recruiting members with experience of mental health services and was successful in increasing the Committee’s experience in this regard: www.england.nhs.uk/2017/02/recruitment-members-acra/ Where necessary, NHS England draws on its expertise to ensure the Advisory Committee has access to the knowledge, skills and expertise it needs.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress is being made on delivering the recommendation of the Mental Health Taskforce Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, published in January 2016, for his Department to carry out a review of existing regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2012 to identify disparities and gaps between provisions relating to physical and mental health services.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The Health and Social Care Act 2012 already placed the principle of parity of esteem on a statutory footing. Since the publication of the Government’s response to the Five Year Forward View we have continued to address gaps in provision for people experiencing mental health problems:- The Policing and Crime Act reduces the time that mentally ill people can spend in detention after a Section 136 from 72 hours to 24 hours, and bans the use of police cells as a place of safety for person under 18 years of age to ensure people are directed to mental health services quicker; - We have made significant progress with access and waiting time standards for mental health services for all ages in the following areas: - Treatment within six weeks for 75% of people referred to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme, with 95% of people being treated within 18 weeks;- Treatment within two weeks for more than 50% of people experiencing a first episode of psychosis; and - From April 2017, progress towards achieving the new access and waiting times for children and young people with eating disorders, so that by 2020 95% of children and young people are seen within one week if urgent and four weeks if routine, will be monitored. - We published a Green Paper on Children and Young People’s Mental Health in December 2017 which sets out proposals to expand and improve early intervention for children and young people. - We announced an independent review of the Mental Health Act 1983 which is currently underway and will put parity of esteem at the heart of treatment.

Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the membership is of the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA); who the chair of ACRA is; and if he will place copies of the agendas for each of ACRA's last ten meetings, together with supporting papers, in the Library.

Steve Brine: The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation is chaired by Professor Peter Smith, Emeritus Professor of Health Policy at Imperial College Business School. The full list of members is in the table below. NameOrganisationProfessor Peter C Smith – ChairEmeritus Professor of Health Policy, Imperial College Business SchoolDr Sheena AsthanaProfessor of Health Policy, School of Law, Criminology and Government, University of PlymouthDr Janet AthertonPublic Health ConsultantDr Chris BentleyHINST AssociatesProf Gwyn BevanProfessor of Policy Analysis, London School of Economics and Political ScienceBob ButcherDepartment of HealthBen ChilcottChief Finance Officer, Western Locality, NEW Devon CCGProfessor Richard CooksonCentre for Health Economics, University of YorkDr Mike D’SouzaGeneral Practitioner, Kingston Multi-fund GP consortium (Former)Ben DayHead of Financial Strategy and Allocations, NHS EnglandDr Paul Edmondson-JonesDirector of Public Health, Redcar and ClevelandAnna EvertonSenior Analytical Lead, Analysis and Insight for Finance, NHS EnglandProfessor Brian FergusonChief Economist, Public Health EnglandDr Sunil GuptaGeneral Practitioner and Member of the Governing Body of Castlepoint and Rochford Clinical Commissioning GroupProfessor Sir Brian JarmanEmeritus Professor of Primary Care, Imperial College of MedicineTarryn LakeDeputy Chief Finance Officer, NHS Sunderland Clinical Commissioning GroupAndrew Lloyd-KendallHead of Research, British Medical AssociationDr Stephen LorrimerHead of Analysis and Insight for Finance, NHS EnglandProfessor Eugene MilneDirector of Public Health, Newcastle City CouncilNicola MortonHead of Local Government Finance, Local Government AssociationDave RobertsHead of Primary Care Information, NHS DigitalProfessor Colin SandersonProfessor of Operational Research in Health Care, London School of Hygiene and Tropical MedicineRob ShawLead Analyst (Forecasting), Analytical Insight Resource Unit, NHS EnglandDavid SleggDirector of Finance, London Regional Office, NHS EnglandSteve SmallwoodHead of Population Statistics Transformation Unit, Office for National StatisticsProfessor Matt SuttonProfessor of Health Economics, University of ManchesterJon SwiftNHS England, Director of Finance, North Yorkshire and the HumberDr Ian TrimbleIndependent GP Adviser, NHS Rushcliffe Clinical Commissioning Group NHS England has published historical summaries of previous meeting papers relating to 2016/17-2018/19 allocations. These relate to the papers discussed at the first three of the last ten ACRA meetings, held in October and November 2015 and February 2016. They are available at the following link under the sections ‘ACRA documents’ and ‘Research reports’: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2016/04/allocations-tech-guide-16-17/ To collate the full meeting papers of the previous meetings would incur disproportionate cost. However NHS England expect to publish further historical summaries supporting the advisory committee's recommendations for 2019-20 allocations by the end of the financial year 2018-19.

Mental Health Services

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress is being made on delivering the recommendation of the Mental Health Taskforce Five Year Forward View for Mental Health, published in January 2016, on disaggregating the inequalities adjustment from the baseline funding allocation for clinical commissioning groups and primary care to make the value of that adjustment more visible.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The NHS England technical guide to allocations explains in detail how the inequalities adjustment to allocations is calculated, including a number of workbooks that set out the calculations in detail at the following link: www.england.nhs.uk/allocations Currently, the inequalities adjustment is made to the overall allocation, covering all aspects of health. The Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation is currently considering alternative measures to use in this adjustment, including indicators focused specifically on mental health services.

Department for International Development

Rohingya: Refugees

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, with reference to the Answer of 8 December 2017 to Question 117071, on Bangladesh: Rohingya, what assessment he has made of whether rationing by household creates an incentive for child marriage and child sexual exploitation in refugee camps.

Alistair Burt: The Rohingya Emergency Vulnerability Assessment was conducted in December 2017 by the World Food Programme (WFP). This found households receiving food rationing are much less likely to apply negative coping strategies, including child marriage or sexual exploitation, than those who are not. DFID has no evidence to suggest this assessment is incorrect.To reduce the risk of child marriage, sexual exploitation and abuse taking place, DFID is supporting awareness-raising, increased outreach, feedback channels, and complaints-handling procedures. Through UNFPA, Oxfam and UNICEF the UK is scaling-up women and child friendly spaces within the camps, where women and children can access support from case workers who can help them access humanitarian aid.

South Sudan: Humanitarian Aid

Sir Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the ability of humanitarian aid to access South Sudan since the 9 November 2017 order from President Salva Kiir Mayardit on that access.

Harriett Baldwin: We welcomed President Kiir’s November decree calling for unhindered humanitarian access. However, data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) shows that humanitarian aid continues to be obstructed by all parties to the conflict, including the Government of South Sudan. Challenges including levels of violence, physical obstructions to aid delivery and bureaucratic blockages still exist, despite the decree. OCHA reported that, in December 2017 alone, 111 incidents occurred where aid was obstructed, which indicates that the number of incidents has not reduced and that there has been no improvement in access since the decree. The annual total of humanitarian access incidents increased again in 2017 to 1,159, the highest so far.We will continue to engage with South Sudan’s leaders at the highest level, asserting pressure together with our international partners, to make clear that they have a direct responsibility to improve access and stop the suffering of their people.

Namibia: Social Security

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether her Department has made any assessment of the effect on development of basic income trials taking place in Namibia.

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of supporting basic income models in developing countries through International Development spending.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID supports cash transfer and broader social protection programmes in 16 of our bilateral country programmes, as well as in countries in the Sahel and Middle East and North Africa regions. We work with partner governments to help build sustainable social protection systems that are appropriate to the local context. Basic income as a type of social protection is a relatively new policy idea in application to developing countries. We are aware of previous and on-going pilots, and will consider the evidence for poverty reduction and sustainable economic growth as it emerges.

Department for Education

Foster Care

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many registered foster carers there have been in each of the last 10 years.

Mr Robert Goodwill: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 02 November 2017.The correct answer should have been:

This is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, to write to my hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) with the information requested. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Mr Robert Goodwill: This is a matter for Ofsted. I have asked Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman, to write to my hon. Friend the Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) with the information requested. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Office for Students

Mr David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration was given to statements on the public record made by candidates and the effect of those statements on the (a) operation and (b) standing of the Office for Students during the recruitment process for members of the board of the Office for Students.

Mr Sam Gyimah: A degree of due diligence took place ahead of all the appointments. However, neither Panel members nor the department were aware of certain comments by Toby Young before his appointment was made. These remarks were years, in some cases decades, in the past. The Commissioner for Public Appointments, the right hon. Peter Riddell, has recently suggested that departments need to look at how they undertake due diligence. The government will be carefully considering this issue in light of his advice.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Lucy Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will remove the 50 per cent faith admissions cap.

Anne Milton: The department plans to respond to the proposals regarding the establishment of new faith free schools as set out in the consultation document, Schools that work for everyone, in due course.

Schools: Governing Bodies

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his Department's policy to make all school governor’s meetings minutes public.

Nadhim Zahawi: Maintained school governing bodies are required to make the minutes of their meetings available for inspection to any interested person. Our current model articles of association also require academies to do this.We are satisfied that these requirements help to ensure that there is transparency and public accountability around governing body decision-making.

Autism: North West

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with autism as their primary special educational need received a permanent or fixed-period exclusion in (a) the North West and (b) each local authority area in the North West in each of the last five years.

Julie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many children with an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs received a permanent or fixed-period exclusion in (a) the North West and (b) each local authority in that area in each of the last five years.

Nadhim Zahawi: The first accompanying table provides the numbers of pupils with autism as their primary need who received fixed period and permanent exclusions in the North West region and in each local authority of the region in the last five years.The second accompanying table shows the number of pupils with an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs who received a permanent or fixed-period exclusion the North West region and in each local authority of the region in each of the last five years. There has been no increase in permanent or fixed-period exclusions for this cohort over the past five years.



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122015
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Free School Meals: Colne Valley

Thelma Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many pupils in the Colne Valley constituency would be entitled to free school meals under the pre-universal free school meals system.

Nadhim Zahawi: The number of pupils’ eligible for and claiming free school meals under the pre-universal free school meals system is published and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/schools-pupils-and-their-characteristics-january-2017.Data is not summarised by parliamentary constituency, but data for each school is available in the Underlying data: SFR28/2017 of the annual ‘Schools, pupils and their characteristics’ statistical release, contained in file ‘SFR28_2017_Schools_Pupils_UD’. The figures can be filtered by parliamentary constituency.

Universities: Capital Investment

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether capital funding commitments for universities which have been agreed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England but not yet disbursed will be honoured by the Office for Students.

Mr Sam Gyimah: It is the Office for Students’ (OfS) intention that funding commitments agreed by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, but not yet disbursed in full by 31 March 2018, will be honoured by the OfS and/or by UK Research and Innovation, subject to monitoring arrangements and other terms and conditions of grant.

Department for Education: Carers

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with caring responsibilities.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department supports all employees with caring responsibilities. We have implemented a number of policies that allow and encourage flexible working arrangements The department has worked with the Charity for Civil Servants to implement the carer’s passport and to provide access to additional respite care. We also support a staff network for carers.

Arts: Ethnic Groups

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to assist people from BAME backgrounds to be better represented in university arts courses and stage schools.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has commissioned research to understand the existing barriers that prevent people from lower income households and under-represented groups, such as those from Black, Asian, and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds, specifically from becoming professionals in the performing arts. It is important that the performing arts are representative of society as a whole. One of the ways this can be achieved is by doing more to ensure more people from BAME backgrounds go on to higher education. We now see record numbers of 18 year olds from all ethnicities entering full-time higher education according to data published by The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. However, for some groups of students from ethnic minorities there is more to do to improve their participation - their retention, success and progression to higher education. That is why the most recent guidance to the Director of Fair Access in February 2016, asked him to focus on activity to continue to improve access and participation into higher education for students from disadvantaged and under-represented backgrounds.We are also introducing sweeping reforms through legislation. The Higher Education and Research Act includes the creation of the Office for Students, which has a statutory duty to consider the promotion of equality of opportunity for students as it relates to access and participation. It also includes a transparency duty requiring all universities to publish applications, offers, acceptance and retention rates broken down by gender, ethnicity and social economic background. This will help to hold universities to account for their records on access and retention.

Teachers: Training

Laura Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the 24 month lock-out for Postgraduate Certificate in Education students who fail one qualified teacher status test on delivering educational standards.

Nick Gibb: From 1 September 2012, all candidates who fail two re-sits (three test attempts in total) in either literacy or numeracy for the professional skills tests are not allowed further re-sits for two years. If a trainee teacher does not pass both tests within the allowed three attempts, it indicates that he or she is not yet ready in these areas.The two-year waiting period is considered a reasonable time during which such candidates can work to become proficient at the skills assessed in the tests before further attempts. Practice tests are available on the Standards and Testing Agency website to help candidates prepare before taking the tests.Data on the pass rate for the skills tests is available on the Standards and Testing Agency website. In 2015-16 89.6% of candidates, taking both tests passed within three attempts: http://sta.education.gov.uk/professional-skills-tests/skills-tests-statistics.

Children: Social Services

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress the Government has made in implementing the finding and recommendations of Putting Children First: Delivering our vision for excellent children's social care; and how the Government monitors that progress.

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what policies his Department has developed as a result of inspection findings under the Single Inspection Framework for local authority children's services.

Nadhim Zahawi: In 2016, the Department for Education (DfE) set out its plans for Children’s Social Care reform in the policy paper ‘Putting Children First’, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/putting-children-first-our-vision-for-childrens-social-care. This paper set out the challenges faced by the children’s social care system, including those around training, management, and lack of innovation. Our reforms were influenced by the evidence on what works to improve children’s social care services including findings from the tougher more practice-focused Ofsted inspection framework that we introduced in 2013. We have developed this further and introduced the new Inspection of Local Authority Children’s Services (ILACS) framework this month to drive further improvement in children’s services. Since 2010, spending on the most vulnerable children has increased by over half a billion in real terms and 37 authorities have been lifted out of intervention and have not returned.We are making further progress in delivering our ambitious reform programme through:setting up the ‘What Works Centre’ for Children’s Social Care, which will give us robust evidence on how to improve the lives of vulnerable children;placing a new duty on local authorities, police and health services to work together to safeguard and promote children’s welfare;working with some of the best local authorities in the country to model and disseminate excellent practice through the system, with £20 million going to Councils to get ahead of failure;launching the ‘alpha’ phase of the National Assessment and Accreditation System (NAAS) of children and family social workers; andthe extension of the Partners in Practice programme to help improve sector performance.In response to the recent Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office report, the department published the ‘CSC public roadmap’ for how it intends to transform services. This can be found here: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons-committees/public-accounts/Correspondence/2017-19/Correspondence-dfe-Child-Protection-180917.pdf) and sets out a timeframe for delivery of the reforms.

Department for Education: Departmental Responsibilities

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the ministerial responsibilities are within his Department.

Anne Milton: I am the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children and Families. My responsibilities will be confirmed in due course.The noble Lord Agnew of Oulton is the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the School System. His responsibilities currently are: providing a robust school system (including free schools, academies, multi-academy trusts, university technical colleges, studio schools, faith schools, independent schools, home education, supplementary schools); tackling school underperformance; school improvement (including teaching school alliances, national and local leaders of education and school improvement funds); school governance; school capital investment (including new school places, school maintenance, land and playing fields); tackling extremism in schools and colleges.My hon. Friend, the Minister for Higher Education will have his responsibilities confirmed in due course.My Rt hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Apprenticeships and Skills has responsibilities for: apprenticeships, including the apprenticeship levy, traineeships and institutes of technology; technical education and skills, including T-levels; careers education, information and guidance; post-16 funding (including support for young people and adult learners); further education colleges, sixth-form colleges and local patterns of provision (including area reviews and city deals); adult education, including the National Retraining Scheme; leading the department’s work on reducing the number of young people who are not in education, employment or training.My Rt hon. Friend, the Minister of State for School Standards has responsibilities for: recruitment and retention of teachers and school leaders (including initial teacher training, qualifications and professional development); supporting a high-quality teaching profession (including links to National College for Teaching and Leadership); admissions and school transport; national funding formula for schools and school revenue funding; curriculum, assessment and qualifications (including links with Ofqual); school accountability (including links with Ofsted); personal, social, health and economic education, relationships education, relationships and sex education and children and young people’s mental health; preventing bullying in schools; school efficiency.My Rt hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has overall responsibility for the work of the department, including: early years; adoption and child protection; teachers’ pay; the school curriculum; school improvement; the establishment of academies and free schools; further education; higher education; apprenticeships and skills.

Department for Education: Departmental Responsibilities

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has retained ministerial responsibility for social mobility policy.

Nadhim Zahawi: The department has retained ministerial responsibility for improving social mobility through education. We will continue to ensure that the education system supports the government’s priority to increase opportunity so that all people can reach their potential.

Carillion

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support apprentices affected by the collapse of Carillion plc.

Anne Milton: Following the announcement on 15 January 2018, regarding the collapse of Carillion, the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) have made contingency plans and identified The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) as the best placed alternative provider. CITB are on the ESFA’s register of approved apprenticeship training providers and have delivered the frameworks/standards that current Carillion apprentices are studying. We understand that the CITB centres are situated within reasonable travelling distance for the apprentices and they have the capacity to take on the transferring apprentices and study programme learners. The ESFA contacted all affected apprentices on 15 January to notify them of the situation and the ‘Study Programme Learners’ will also be notified by letter on the 17 January. Affected learners have been provided with the details of a dedicated mailbox, Carillion.Construction@education.gov.uk, where they can raise any issues or concerns. The CITB are already working with their established network of college partners to support all the apprentices and other learners to complete their programmes. They are also utilising their existing employer contacts in the sector and the grant incentives they have available to find alternative employers for the apprentices to complete their frameworks or standards. Additionally, CITB are making contact with Carillion supply chain companies and have reported that numerous employers have responded with offers of support. CITB have scheduled a series of workshops for learners, which will take place in the regions of the 11 Carillion Training Centres, providing advice on the next steps. The timings and locations of these events will be communicated by telephone and on their website. Carillion will also encourage their learners to attend. Carillion have sent out communication to their learners, alerting them to the situation and reassuring them that support is in place. The ESFA are meeting with CITB daily to monitor progress and resolve any issues.

Children: Day Care

Ms Marie Rimmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he has made an estimate of how many children are not currently accessing their full 30 hours of free childcare because their specialist needs are not being accommodated.

Nadhim Zahawi: We do not currently hold data about the number of free hours that are being used by children that are eligible for 30 hours or the reasons why a child may not be accessing their full entitlement. We will collect data about the number of children taking up 30 hours free childcare in January 2018 Early Years and Schools Census. This will be published in the ‘Education provision: children under 5 years of age’ statistical first release in summer 2018. This will include data about the number of children with special educational needs or a disability taking up government-funded hours.

Children: Day Care

Ms Marie Rimmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he plans to take to ensure that disabled three and four year olds who require one-to-one care can still access the thirty hours of free childcare to which they are entitled.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Childcare Act 2006 and Childcare Act 2016 make clear that if children meet the eligibility requirements for the free entitlements, the local authority must secure a place for them. The Equality Act 2010 requires that local authorities and all early years’ providers must make reasonable adjustments for disabled children.Local authorities can use the high needs element of their Dedicated Schools Grant to support settings to provide childcare to disabled children. In addition, we introduced, in April 2017, a national Disability Access Fund, worth to £615 per child per year, to support disabled children to access the free entitlements.

Schools: Warrington

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to take steps to compensate schools in Warrington for financial detriment experienced as a result of the unauthorised recruitment of pupils to an accelerated Key Stage 4 programme by Warrington UTC.

Nadhim Zahawi: No schools will lose funding in the current academic year for those Year 9 pupils who have made an early transfer to Warrington University Technical College (UTC). The department is aware that concerns have been raised about the UTC’s actions and is discussing them with the UTC, the local authority and representatives from local schools.

STEM Subjects

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to improve the quality of take-up of STEM skills.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to raising both the standard of, and pupil participation in, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education at all stages of education. As my Rt hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced at the 2017 autumn budget, we are investing an additional £33 million to expand the Teaching for Mastery mathematics programme and will introduce a new premium for 16-19 providers of up to £600 per additional student studying advanced mathematics qualifications. The Government has also invested an additional £84 million to improve the teaching of computing and drive up participation in computer science To improve the development of technical STEM skills, the Government is introducing a national system of 15 technical routes, which will include digital, engineering and manufacturing. The new T levels, which will be developed with employers, will provide progression opportunities into skilled work or higher level study, including degrees. Together with the work already underway to reform the apprenticeships system including STEM apprenticeships, they will provide a reformed, comprehensive and high quality technical option.

Children: Day Care

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of the survey of childcare providers in England, conducted by the Pre School Learning Alliance in December 2017, that 66 per cent of childcare providers plan to make changes to how they offer the 30 hours over the next 12 months most commonly by increasing fees and charges.

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for his policies of the finding of the survey of  childcare providers in England, conducted by the Pre School Learning Alliance in December 2017, that 38 per cent of providers are uncertain whether or not they will be offering 30 hours places in a year's time.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government has always been clear that providers can choose whether to offer 30 hours and what pattern of days and hours they offer parents. We have also been clear that government funding is not intended to cover the costs of meals or additional services. It is entirely reasonable for providers to charge parents for additional extras but this cannot be a condition of the child’s place. The independent evaluation of the 30 hours early delivery areas did not find that charges were a barrier to parents taking up a place. They also showed that over 80% of providers who previously delivered the free entitlements were willing and able to offer extended hours places.

STEM Subjects: Graduates

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many people graduated with a STEM degree in each of the last four years for which figures are available.

Mr Sam Gyimah: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics on students obtaining qualifications from UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The latest statistics refer to the academic year 2016/17: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/news/11-01-2018/sfr247-higher-education-student-statistics/qualifications. Information on first degree qualifiers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects from the academic year 2013/14 onwards has been provided in the table below. First degree qualifiers1 in STEM2 subjects at UK HEIsAcademic years 2013/14 to 2016/17Academic yearNumber of qualifiers32013/14174,9502014/15170,4802015/16172,4802016/17181,215Source: HESA Student RecordNotesCounts are on the basis of full-person-equivalents. Where a student is studying more than one subject, they are apportioned between the subjects that make up their course.STEM subjects are defined by HESA as subject groups A to K under the JACS3 classification. More information is available here: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/support/documentation/jacs/jacs3-detailed.Figures rounded to nearest five and so the sum of columns may not add to totals.

Social Mobility Commission

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the budget for the Social Mobility Commission was in each year since 2010.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Commission became operational in December 2012 (then as the Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission). The government has previously allocated the following funding to the Commission: £227,000 in 2012-3 (from October 2012 – March 2013);£600,000 in 2013-4;£600,000 in 2014-5;£600,000 in 2015-6;£589,000 in 2016-7;£610,000 in 2017-8.

Faith Schools: Admissions

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what his policy is on the 50 per cent cap on faith-based admissions in faith schools; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The ‘Schools that work for everyone’ consultation document proposed that we replace the 50% admissions cap on faith free schools with a series of strengthened safeguards to promote inclusivity. This is because some faiths have felt unable to open new free schools subject to the 50% cap as they say it contravenes religious rules.The department plans to respond in due course to the proposals regarding the establishment of new faith free schools set out in the consultation document.

Teachers: Recruitment

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the National College for Teaching and Leadership has ever reached the recruitment target of 2,400 early years teachers per year; and if he will make a statement.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government determines the supply of newly trained teachers with Qualified Teacher Status through a Teacher Supply Model. There is no equivalent supply model to determine the number of early years teachers required and there is not a target set for recruitment of such teachers. We continue to make early years initial teacher training places available based on demand. Experimental statistics on new entrants to early years initial teacher training for the academic year 2017/18 are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census-2017-to-2018.

Pupil Referral Units

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Pupil Referral Units there are for early years pupils.

Nadhim Zahawi: Alternative provision (AP) is education put in place for children of compulsory school age who would not otherwise receive suitable education because of illness, exclusion or any other reason. AP is arranged by local authorities (and in some circumstances schools) and can be delivered by a range of providers, for example, pupil referral units, AP free schools and AP academies. As at January 2018, the Department’s Get Information about schools website shows there are 10 pupil referral units, AP free schools and AP academies that cater to early years pupils aged four and under. Get Information about schools is available at: https://www.get-information-schools.service.gov.uk.

Children: Day Care

Tracy Brabin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 December 2018 to Question 121998, how many eligible children there are for 30 hours of funded childcare in (a) England, (b) each region of England and (c) each local authority area in England.

Nadhim Zahawi: The government set out in the 2015 Spending Review that 390,000 children are expected to be eligible for 30 hours free childcare.The number of eligible children will increase through the academic year as more children turn three.We do not have a robust estimate of eligibility at a regional and local authority level. Local authorities have a statutory duty under section 7 of the Childcare Act 2006 to secure early education places free of charge for all eligible children and we expect local authorities to carry out analysis to understand local demand.

Higher Education: Finance

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 23 October 2017 to Question 108254, when he intends to set out further steps on the review of higher education student finance.

Mr Sam Gyimah: As stated in the Industrial Strategy white paper published on 27 November 2017, the government is committed to conducting a major review of funding across tertiary education to ensure a joined-up system that works for everyone. This review will look at providing an education system for those aged 18 years and over that is accessible to all and provides value for money. It will also look how choice and competition is incentivised across the sector. The government will set out further details of the review in due course.

Special Educational Needs: Home Education

Mrs Emma Lewell-Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of children with special educational needs and disabilities who are home schooled.

Anne Milton: This data is not held centrally.

Carillion

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools Carillion provides building or maintenance services to; and what the total value of those contracts is.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many schools Carillion provides school meals or related services to.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many contracts are held by public bodies with Carillion Group for the construction of new school buildings; and what the value of those contracts is.

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the delivery of school meals is not affected by Carillion entering liquidation.

Nick Gibb: Local authorities and academy trusts are responsible for their contracts. Information available to the Department indicates that the number of local authority (LA) and academy trust schools covered by catering, facilities management or other service with Carillion is relatively low. The Department, LAs and other bodies have a small number of contracts with Carillion for school building works. We have worked with LAs and academy trusts to make sure they have robust contingency plans in place and that these have been actioned, where required. Our priority is to ensure schools can continue to operate as usual. Government is supporting the Official Receiver, so that services to schools, such as school meal provision, can continue to be delivered. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will work with schools and providers to help minimise any disruption for pupils.

Ministry of Justice

Coroners: Legal Aid Scheme

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent steps he has taken to review the criteria for provision of legal aid funding for inquests.

Rory Stewart: Funding for legal representation at inquests remains available through the Exceptional Case Funding scheme. Last year over 50% of applications for representation at inquests were granted. We are looking at ways to make inquests more sympathetic to the needs of the bereaved and at the possibility of reducing the number of legal representatives involved. To that end, the previous Lord Chancellor committed to review the provision of legal aid for inquests alongside the Post-Implementation Review of the Legal Aid, and Sentencing of Offenders Act 2012.

Coroners: Legal Representation

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what progress he has made in providing publicly funded legal representation for bereaved families taking part in an inquest at which a public authority is legally represented.

Rory Stewart: Funding for legal representation at inquests remains available through the Exceptional Case Funding scheme. Last year over 50% of applications for representation at inquests were granted. We are looking at ways to make inquests more sympathetic to the needs of the bereaved and at the possibility of reducing the number of legal representatives involved. To that end, the previous Lord Chancellor committed to review the provision of legal aid for inquests alongside the Post-Implementation Review of the Legal Aid, and Sentencing of Offenders Act 2012.

Prisons: Standards

Michael Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will publish the (a) results of the Measuring the Quality of Prison Life survey from each of the last five years and (b) the reports generated for each prison based on that survey.

Rory Stewart: Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service carry out Measuring the Quality of Life surveys of individual prisons on a rolling programme. On Thursday 26 October, the Ministry of Justice launched Justice Data, a new public facing platform for presenting published performance data. The website will be accessible at https://www.data.justice.gov.uk/prisons and includes a year of MQPL performance on Safety and Decency. Until 2016/17 the scores for some dimensions of the prisoner surveys were included in the Prison Rating System (PRS) which was published annually. The results for 2016/17 can be found on gov.uk at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/prison-annual-performance-ratings-2016-to-2017 and previous years will be available in the PRS reports at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/prison-and-probation-trusts-performance-statistics The PRS has been replaced with the Custodial Performance Tool and certain dimensions of the prisoner survey such as safety are part of this assessment. I have no plans to publish the reports of the Measuring the Quality of Life surveys as they are produced purely for management information.

Ministry of Justice: Carers

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with caring responsibilities.

Dr Phillip Lee: MoJ offer a range of flexible working options to staff, including term-time working, job shares and compressed hours, to allow staff with caring responsibilities to work in the way that best suits them. Whilst there is not a specific carer’s policy, support is offered to all staff who have caring responsibilities. MoJ have a staff Carers’ Network for example, which provides guidance and advice to employees within the MoJ family who have caring responsibilities. They do this by signposting to relevant MoJ policies and/or external organisations, and running events for staff to network and share challenges. The Carers’ Network is also supported by senior Carers Champions who raise the profile of issues facing carers, and Carers’ Week is recognised annually with communications and information to MoJ staff. The internal intranet provides sources of advice for employees and managers, for example how to access the salary sacrifice childcare vouchers scheme, or links to Special Leave policies available, which provide options for paid and unpaid leave for carers. In October 2017, MoJ was recognised in the Top 30 of the Top Employers for Working Families list, which is based on the comprehensive and highly competitive Working Families’ benchmarking survey. MoJ has an Inclusion and Diversity strategy which strives for all employees to feel supported and to identify barriers to effective working.

Swansea Prison

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many members of staff were sent from HMP Swansea to prisons in England to cover staff shortages in each of the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many members of staff were sent from HMP Cardiff to prisons in England to cover staff shortages in each of the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many members of staff were sent from HMP Parc to prisons in England to cover staff shortages in each of the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many members of staff were sent from HMP Usk/Prescoed to prisons in England to cover staff shortages in each of the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many members of staff were sent from HMP Berwyn to prisons in England to cover staff shortages in each of the last 12 months.

Rory Stewart: The information requested is not collected. Detached duty is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. It allows staff to be allocated from prisons with the capacity to provide them, to those where additional staffing is required to enable the delivery of a safe, decent, secure and predictable regime. Staffing shortages is not the sole driver of detached duty or indeed the trigger for it to be used. Many establishments have what could be described as staffing shortages or vacancies, but through the use of ‘Regime Management Planning’ these shortages are managed to ensure an acceptable level of regime delivery.

Swansea Prison: Crimes of Violence

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults occurred at HMP Swansea when there were fewer staff as a result of staff being sent to cover staff shortages in England in the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults occurred at HMP Cardiff when there were fewer staff as a result of staff being sent to cover staff shortages in England in the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults occurred at HMP Parc when there were fewer staff as a result of staff being sent to cover staff shortages in England in the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults occurred at HMP Usk/Prescoed when there were fewer staff as a result of staff being sent to cover staff shortages in England in the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many assaults have occurred at HMP Berwyn when there were fewer staff as a result of staff being sent to cover staff shortages in England since that prison was opened.

Rory Stewart: The information requested is not collected. Detached duty is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. It allows staff to be allocated from prisons with the capacity to provide them, to those where additional staffing is required to enable the delivery of a safe, decent, secure and predictable regime. Staffing shortages is not the sole driver of detached duty or indeed the trigger for it to be used. Many establishments have what could be described as staffing shortages or vacancies, but through the use of ‘Regime Management Planning’ these shortages are managed to ensure an acceptable level of regime delivery.

Swansea Prison

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ratio was of prisoners to prison officers at HMP Swansea on every occasion where staff were sent to prisons in England to cover staff shortages in each of the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ratio was of prisoners to prison officers at HMP Cardiff on every occasion where staff were sent to prisons in England to cover staff shortages in each of the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ratio was of prisoners to prison officers at HMP Parc on every occasion where staff were sent to prisons in England to cover staff shortages in each of the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ratio was of prisoners to prison officers at HMP Usk/Prescoed on every occasion where staff were sent to prisons in England to cover staff shortages in each of the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what the ratio was of prisoners to prison officers at HMP Berwyn on every occasion where staff were sent to prisons in England to cover staff shortages since opening.

Rory Stewart: The information requested is not collected.Detached duty is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. It allows staff to be allocated from prisons with the capacity to provide them, to those where additional staffing is required to enable the delivery of a safe, decent, secure and predictable regime. Staffing shortages is not the sole driver of detached duty or indeed the trigger for it to be used. Many establishments have what could be described as staffing shortages or vacancies, but through the use of ‘Regime Management Planning’ these shortages are managed to ensure an acceptable level of regime delivery.

Swansea Prison: Security

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions HMP Swansea was placed on lockdown due to staff covering staff shortages at prisons in England in the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions HMP Cardiff was placed on lockdown due to staff covering staff shortages at prisons in England in the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions HMP Parc was placed on lockdown due to staff covering staff shortages at prisons in England in the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions HMP Usk/Prescoed was placed on lockdown due to staff covering staff shortages at prisons in England in the last 12 months.

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, on how many occasions HMP Berwyn has been placed in lockdown due to staff having to cover staff shortages at prisons in England since it opened.

Rory Stewart: The information requested is not collected. Detached duty is a regular and normal part of prison resourcing. It allows staff to be allocated from prisons with the capacity to provide them, to those where additional staffing is required to enable the delivery of a safe, decent, secure and predictable regime. Staffing shortages is not the sole driver of detached duty or indeed the trigger for it to be used. Many establishments have what could be described as staffing shortages or vacancies, but through the use of ‘Regime Management Planning’ these shortages are managed to ensure an acceptable level of regime delivery.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Social Services: Telephone Services

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of response times for callers contacting local authority emergency social worker duty teams with suicidal thoughts.

Rishi Sunak: Every local area is required to have a multi-agency suicide prevention plan in place to implement tailored approaches to reducing suicides in their communities. We expect multi-agency groups to include all relevant organisations and professionals who may come into contact with someone at risk of suicide such as social care services and social workers. Guidance published by Public Health England on developing suicide prevention plans, Local suicide prevention planning: A practice resource, sets out how local data collections are important in developing effective action plans to reduce suicides and that data should be collected across a wide range of services including social care: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/suicide-prevention-developing-a-local-action-planThe Government launched the Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat in 2014 which has been signed by a wide range of organisations including the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services, Association of Directors of Children’s Services and the College of Social Work. Every local area has a Mental Health Crisis Care Concordat action plan in place which should set out how local services such as health services, social services and the police should work together to respond to someone experiencing a mental health crisis.

Local Government Services: Disability

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure local authorities provide support to people with disabilities who are unable to travel due to extreme weather in winter months.

Rishi Sunak: Local authorities have responsibilities to provide care and support for vulnerable persons in their area. Where it appears a person, including those with a disability, has a care need local authorities have, under the Care Act 2014, a duty to assess the care and support needs of that person and following an assessment meet those care and support needs.

Council Housing: Construction

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will lift the cap on borrowing by Leeds City Council for new council housing.

Rishi Sunak: At Autumn Budget the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that we will raise the Housing Revenue Account borrowing cap by a total of up to £1 billion in areas of high affordability pressure for local authorities that are ready to start building new homes. Local authorities will be able to bid for increases in their caps from 2019/20, up to a total of £1 billion by the end of 2021/22. We will set out more details shortly.

Local Government Services: EU Law

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential effect on (a) funding for and (b) services delivered by local authorities if the UK repeals EU laws and directives after the UK has left the EU.

Rishi Sunak: All Government departments are planning for EU exit. This includes a number of scenarios. The purpose of the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill is to provide a functioning statute book on the day we leave the EU, and ensure that it is for our sovereign Parliament (and in some cases for the devolved legislatures) to make any future changes. If the UK repeals EU laws and directives after the UK has left the EU, the Government will, where necessary, undertake assessments on the potential effect on local authorities.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Standards

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when his Department's ability to deliver its functions was last assessed.

Jake Berry: The Department uses both external assurance and internal governance procedures to assess its ability to deliver its functions.Externally, the National Audit Office (NAO) carries out value for money studies of the Department’s work areas and to recommend how to improve value for money and delivery of services. These reports are followed up by the Public Accounts Committee, which makes recommendations to the Department.Internally, high-level governance is provided by the Departmental Board, the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and the Executive Team; the Executive Team also ensures that delivery performance is monitored effectively by Director General-led Portfolio Boards. The Department’s Annual Report and Accounts includes performance monitoring, financial monitoring, and audit, as well as setting out how the Department ensures it can deliver its functions. This includes describing how Departmental capability is assured, for example, through the Department’s People Plan, as well as examining risks to the Department and to delivery of its objectives, and assurance and accountability of local government, the Local Growth Fund, and the Department’s arms’ length bodies.Additionally, the Department is currently planning to ensure it can deliver its functions in the future. The work on the Single Departmental Plan sets out what the Department will achieve over the next five years and how we measure success. Our Business Planning work will ensure that the Department has the tools to deliver these objectives.

Landlords

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether tenants will be able to access the database of rogue landlords and property agents due to be published in April 2018.

Dominic Raab: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Reorganisation

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 8 January 2018 to Question 121624, whether he has made an estimate of the potential cost to the public purse of the renaming of his Department.

Jake Berry: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Homelessness

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 5 January 2018 to Question 118353, for what reasons the homelessness funding announced in Budget 2016 is not being made available until 2018-19 in parts of England outside London.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing: Construction

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2018 to Question 121269, how much of the £1.2 billion of funding for the Starter Home Land Fund has been spent to date.

Dominic Raab: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Grenfell Tower: Fires

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many local authorities have requested the Government for assistance as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire; how many of those authorities have requested financial assistance in the form of increased housing revenue account borrowing capacity; and how many such authorities requesting such assistance have had their requests granted (a) in part or (b) fully.

Dominic Raab: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Supported Housing: Finance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what the evidential basis was for the Government's proposals for a different funding mechanism for short-term supported housing compared with long-term supported housing.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Department does not hold figures for the number in short-term versus long-term supported housing.The short-term model was designed to ensure that funding for short-term supported accommodation is compatible with the modernised welfare system. We have not changed the funding model for long-term supported housing, which remains in the welfare system.It reduces administrative burdens for providers in managing claims for housing costs and collecting rent. It also frees residents from concerns about meeting housing costs at a difficult point in their lives.This model was designed with input from a range of stakeholders and providers through task and finish groups, the 2016 consultation on supported housing and taking account of the joint Communities and Local Government and Work and Pensions Select Committee report.

Housing Associations: Tower Hamlets

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Social Housing Regulator has taken to protect tenants of Old Ford Housing Association in Tower Hamlets as a result of its downgrading of Circle, now Clarion Housing in December 2016.

Dominic Raab: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing Associations: Tower Hamlets

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, under what circumstances he would intervene in a case handled by the Social Housing Regulator in the event that there was reason to believe it was failing in its responsibility to ensure that tenants are protected from serious detriment by the performance of their housing association.

Dominic Raab: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Housing Associations: Standards

Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times the Social Housing Regulator has found that there has been serious detriment to tenants by the poor performance of a housing association.

Dominic Raab: The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Electric Vehicles

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many vehicles in his Department's fleet are (a) electric vehicles and (b) ultra-low emission vehicles.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: There are 523 electrical vehicles and 934 low emission vehicles operated by the Ministry of Defence.

Carillion

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many facilities management contracts his Department holds with Carillion plc.

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what services Carillion provides for his Department and the Armed Forces apart from facilities management.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: The Department does not hold any facilities management contracts with Carillion plc. Ministry of Defence's facilities management contracts are held with CarillionAmey as an Incorporated Joint Venture. Carillion Amey is an independent legal entity.Carillion plc provide construction services to the Department.

RAF Lossiemouth: Fire and Rescue Services

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on how many occasions RAF fire personnel based at Kinloss have been used to support the civilian manned fire station at RAF Lossiemouth in each of the last five years.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: RAF fire personnel based at Kinloss began providing cover to the civilian manned fire station at RAF Lossiemouth from August 2014. Therefore, data is only available from this period. The number of occasions RAF personnel based at Kinloss have supported the civilian manned fire station at RAF Lossiemouth is as follows: 2014 – 1292015 – 3842016 – 4192017 – 514

Defence Fire and Rescue Service: Pensions

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he plans to review the adequacy of pensions arrangements for his Department's fire-fighters.

Mr Tobias Ellwood: As Civil Servants, Defence Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) personnel are members of the Civil Service Pension Schemes. The Department has worked closely with Cabinet Office and HM Treasury to offer a reduced Effective Pension Age for DFRS personnel, recognising the physical demands placed upon them, and is currently in consultation with the relevant Trade Unions to finalise this offer.

European Fighter Aircraft

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his oral contribution of 15 January 2018, Official Report, column. 621, whether the Government still plans to purchase 138 F-35s.

Guto Bebb: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 2 November 2017 to Question 109656 to the hon. Member for Dunfermline and West Fife (Douglas Chapman).



109656 - WQnA extract on Joint Strike Fighter
(Word Document, 12.92 KB)

Department for Work and Pensions

Social Security Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will permit dedicated representatives to submit applications for short term benefit advances on behalf of claimants who are awaiting their first payment of jobseeker's allowance or employment and support allowance.

Alok Sharma: Whilst the application for the Short Term Benefit Advance must come from the claimant or their appointee, the Department acknowledges that representatives and key workers can be very helpful, both in supporting the individual, and by offering advice to staff on recognising support needs and how this impacts on the individual’s ability to access the Department’s benefits and services. Once the claimant has confirmed that they are willing to let the third party speak on their behalf, the Department will accept information from the third party.

Social Security Benefits: Autism

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps are being taken to help claimants with autism apply for (a) employment support allowance and (b) personal independence payments.

Sarah Newton: The Department for Work and Pensions has an established approach for identifying and providing an appropriate level of support to all its vulnerable customers. We identify any “individual who is identified as having complex needs and/or requires additional support to enable them to access DWP benefits and use our services” as being vulnerable. This definition, which includes Autism Spectrum Disorders and Conditions, ensures that we have consistency and continuity in the type and level of service that is being offered and that it supports the customer appropriately whatever their individual needs. We adopt this approach, at all points of contact with the customer, and use our records to ensure, where an individual is identified as being vulnerable we take all reasonable steps to try to mitigate any risks, for example by applying an additional support marker if a claimant to Personal Independence Payment is identified as having mental health issues and no support network to rely on. For ESA an example of this, along with other benefits, is by offering a face to face appointment.  We will continue to follow our established approach to working with the individual and with their consent, we will where necessary, contact any relevant organisations to provide the appropriate levels of support. We continually monitor our product and services to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers and where necessary make any changes that improve the level of service we provide.

Department for Work and Pensions: Data Protection

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions she has had with representatives of (a) Citizens Advice and (b) other organisations on the effect on their clients of the removal of implicit consent in welfare cases.

Alok Sharma: The Department wrote to all welfare rights advisers last year explaining how implicit and explicit consent are managed in Universal Credit. The Department is in regular contact with a broad range of stakeholders including Citizens Advice and other welfare rights organisations.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what discussions her Department has had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the potential links between mental health problems and welfare sanctions.

Alok Sharma: No specific discussions have been had with the Department of Health and Social Care on the potential links between welfare sanctions and claimants’ mental health. Decision makers take all the claimant’s individual circumstances, including any health conditions or disabilities, and any evidence of good cause into account, before making a decision. The Department is committed to supporting those who cannot work, and those with additional needs.

Employment and Support Allowance: Older People

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps his Department is taking to inform Employment and Support Allowance claimants who are approaching retirement age that their benefit is coming to an end and that they must prepare to make a new claim for state pension.

Christina Rees: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what arrangements are in place to ensure that there are no delays or disruptions between final ESA payment and and the first state pension payment for people reaching state pension age.

Sarah Newton: Provided the Department has their up-to-date address, it will send ESA claimants a letter four months before they reach State Pension age telling them they can now claim State Pension; and another letter telling them that their ESA payments will soon stop and advising them to claim State Pension instead. Claimants will also get help and guidance from their work coach and Benefit Centre staff, should they need it. This gives ESA claimants every opportunity to claim in time to ensure that there are no delays or disruptions between their final benefit payment and their first State Pension payment. More than one-third of people now choose to claim their State Pension online. People can also claim by phone or in writing ensuring all customers can access their Pension via whichever method suits their needs. It has never been easier to claim your State Pension.

Personal Independence Payment

Laura Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she has taken to make the PIP application process more user-friendly for severely disabled people.

Sarah Newton: The Department is continually working to improve the claimant journey for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for all claimants including those severely disabled. We have recently conducted a review of all claimant communications, as explained in the Government’s response to the second independent review of the PIP assessment carried out by Paul Gray. The response can be accessed from here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-pip-assessment-second-independent-review-government-response. Improvements we have made include introducing the Video Relay Service for those with communication difficulties who use British Sign Language (BSL) so they are able to communicate with the Department more easily and also ‘Next Generation Text’ (NGT) for Deaf or hard of hearing claimants unable to use BSL or those unable to speak. For vulnerable claimants with no support available and who may not be able to engage with the claim process due to reduced mental capacity may be able to receive a visit from a DWP Visiting Officer to help them complete the PIP claim form. Where there is sufficient evidence available, a decision on entitlement to PIP can be made without the need for a face-to-face assessment with a Healthcare Professional. If a claimant is invited to attend an assessment and has difficulties travelling due to a severe disability they can discuss with the assessment provider to arrange potential rescheduling or have a home visit if they are unable to travel.

Social Security Benefits: St Helens South and Whiston

Ms Marie Rimmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what proportion of claims for (a) employment support allowance and (b) personal independence payments went to appeal in St Helens South and Whiston constituency in (a) 2015, (b) 2016 and (c) 2017.

Sarah Newton: The table below shows the proportion of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) decisions that went to appeal, by year of decision in the Parliamentary Constituency of St Helens South and Whiston. Proportion of PIP decisions that went to appeal, by financial year of decision in the Parliamentary Constituency of St Helens South and Whiston.  Financial year of initial PIP decisionProportion of PIP decisions that went to appeal2015/167%2016/176%Apr'17 to Oct'171% Latest available data to October 2017 The information for Employment Support Allowance (ESA) is not readily available and can only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Access to Work Programme: Publicity

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 18 October 2017 to Question 106843, how much her Department plans to spend on promoting the Access to Work scheme in the next 12 months.

Sarah Newton: Funding for 2018/2019 to promote Access to Work has not been finalised. For our marketing approach, I refer the Hon Member to PQ 106839.Last year saw an 8% rise in number of people who had an Access to Work award approved.

Personal Independence Payment: Charcot Marie Tooth Disease

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether disability assessors for personal independence payments receive training that includes information relating to Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Sarah Newton: The PIP assessment is not a medical assessment requiring the assessor to diagnose a condition or its severity and recommend treatment options. The focus is on ensuring that Health Professionals are experts in disability analysis, considering the effects of health conditions and impairments on an individual’s daily life. Both Independent Assessment Services and Capita are required to ensure that the Health Professionals carrying out assessments have knowledge of the clinical aspects and likely functional effects of a wide range of health conditions and impairments. All Health Professionals undertaking PIP assessments must be registered practitioners who have also met requirements around training and competence. They must be an occupational therapist, level 1 nurse, physiotherapist, paramedic or doctor. They must also be fully registered and have at least 2 years post full-registration experience. Prior to carrying out an assessment they refresh their knowledge of any condition which they are not fully familiar with. All Health Professionals are subject to on-going quality audit to ensure they continue to deliver high quality assessments.

Social Security Benefits: St Helens South and Whiston

Ms Marie Rimmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many appeals for (a) ESA and (b) PIP in St Helens South and Whiston constituency resulted in an increase in the amount awarded in each of the last three years; and what the average value of each such increase was per week.

Sarah Newton: The Department only holds data on PIP awards changed and unchanged at appeal. Therefore the awards changed may include a very small number of appeals where the award may have reduced. The table below shows the number of appeals against awards of Personal Independent Payment where the award was changed and unchanged at appeal for St Helens South and Whiston for the last three years. Financial year of appeal outcomeAward changed at appealAward unchanged at appeal2015/1660302016/179060Apr'17 to Oct'176030 Latest available data to October 2017  The information for Employment Support Allowance (ESA) is not readily available and can only be obtained at a disproportionate cost.

Personal Independence Payment

Ged Killen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the transfer from disability living allowance to personal independence payments is made effectively; and what representations she has received on claimants whose payments have changed significantly despite there being no change in their circumstances.

Sarah Newton: The claiming process for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), including the arrangements to invite existing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claimants to claim PIP, was co-produced with the assistance of disabled people, carers and their representative support organisations to ensure it works effectively. Up to the end of October 2017 nearly 1,177,000 DLA to PIP claims had been registered, of which nearly 1,100,000 claims had been cleared. To ensure continuity of payment, DLA claimants continue to get paid while their PIP claim is being assessed. The Secretary of State and Ministers receive a wide range of representations about PIP from individuals, organisations and Parliamentarians. However, as PIP is a different benefit to DLA, with different assessment criteria, someone moving from DLA to PIP will not automatically be entitled to PIP, or guaranteed the same level of award. PIP is intended to focus support on those who need it most and 38 per cent of those previously in receipt of DLA are currently receiving the highest possible rate of benefit compared with only 15 per cent on DLA of working age at May 2013.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environment Protection

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how his Department plans to ensure independent scrutiny and enforcement of environmental standards after the UK leaves the EU; and what consultations with outside bodies it will undertake.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: On 12 November the Secretary of State set out plans to consult on a new, independent and statutory body to hold the Government and potentially public authorities to account on the environment once we have left the European Union. We are already gathering views from stakeholders and will consult widely when we bring forward our proposals for this body.

Recycling: Fines

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of introducing fines for people who fail to recycle household waste in order to increase recycling rates.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Councils already have a range of powers to intervene though we think it is better for councils to work with householders and help them to recycle more, rather than punish them for getting things wrong. That is why criminal penalties were removed in 2015.

Plastic Bags: Fees and Charges

Michelle Donelan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to encourage large retailers to minimise the amount of the 5p levy on single use plastic bags retained for administration and to maximise the amount distributed to charity.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The regulations do not specify where the proceeds of the charge are distributed, but retailers are expected and encouraged to donate the proceeds of the charge (after deducting VAT and other reasonable costs) to good causes such as charities or community groups. Our data shows that over the 18 months since the charge was introduced at least £95 million was donated to a variety of good causes covering the arts, education, environment, health, heritage and sports as well as local causes chosen by customers or staff. The Single Use Carrier Bags Charges (England) Order 2015 is due for review before 5 October 2020, which will require an assessment of cost and benefits. Any changes to amend the policy ahead of this timeframe will be considered as part of the Government’s forthcoming resources and waste strategy.

Waste: Exports

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what (a) amount and (b) proportion of municipal waste collected as recyclable waste is exported.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Data on exports of waste materials generally is published by HMRC and is available at the following link https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Pages/Home.aspx In 2015 the UK exported 14 million tonnes of scrap materials (recyclable materials left over from product manufacturing and consumption, which had a monetary value including textiles, rubber, plastic, paper, copper, aluminium, nickel, lead, zinc, tin and ferrous metals (Digest of waste and Resources Statistics 2017 https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/607416/Digest_of_Waste_and_Resource_Statistics__2017_rev.pdf Data is not held in the specific format requested.

Waste

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to key message 1 on page 12 of the Government Chief Scientific Advisor's report published on 14 December 2017, From Waste to Resource Productivity, what plans he has to implement that recommendation; and if he will make a statement.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We welcome the Government Chief Scientific Advisor's report, From Waste to Resource Productivity and its focus on the importance of understanding the dynamics of UK material and waste flows. This issue is reflected in the new 25 Year Environment Plan, published on 11 January, and further actions will be developed through the national resources and waste strategy due to be published later this year in 2018.

Food: Waste

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to page 27 of the Government Chief Scientific Advisor's report, From Waste to Resource Productivity, published on 14 December 2017, what steps he is taking to (a) decrease the amount of food waste and (b) ensure that more food waste is recycled and less is incinerated.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which receives funding from Defra, launched the Courtauld Commitment 2025 in March 2016. This is an ambitious ten-year voluntary agreement that brings together organisations across the food system to identify priorities, develop solutions and implement changes at scale, both within signatory organisations and by spreading new best practice across the UK. The commitment goes further than ever before with ambitious industry targets to be reached by 2025. One of these is a 20% per capita reduction in food and drink waste arising in the UK. Whilst it is for local councils to work with their householders to develop the levels of services required, the Government supports comprehensive collections of materials. In September 2016 WRAP, as part of an industry led group, published a Framework for Greater Consistency. This outlines a vision where every household in England can recycle a common set of materials, including separate food waste. We are also taking action to support the redistribution of unsold edible and nutritious surplus stock food from businesses to individuals in need. WRAP announced, at the end of last year, a new £0.5m fund for charities who redistribute surplus food from food businesses to those in need.

Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to implement Decision 17.226 of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora in the UK.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: UK zoos are already required to have robust controls in place to make sure that all animals in their collections can be properly accounted for. A zoo needs a licence from its local authority to operate and will be inspected before a licence is issued and periodically thereafter. Zoos are required to maintain robust records of individual animals in their collection and to make these available to zoo inspectors. Records include details of the date an animal entered the collection, how it was disposed of and, where relevant, to whom. The Secretariat to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) has requested that Parties report progress on implementing this decision to the 70th CITES Standing Committee to be held in October this year.

Air Pollution: Leeds

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what funding he plans to make available to Leeds City Council to support the implementation of its air quality improvement plan.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Funding will be allocated to Leeds City Council in line with its plan, once agreed, to achieve compliance in the shortest time possible. Leeds City Council has to date been awarded £1.4 million of funding for the undertaking of a feasibility study and the implementation of early measures to improve air quality in the city as part of developing its local plan. Leeds City Council was also awarded £200,000 from the 16/17 Air Quality Grant for projects related to emissions from road transport refrigeration equipment and for awareness and engagement actions. Leeds has also had funding from other Government sources which will also contribute to its air quality objectives, including from the Office for Low Emission Vehicles.

Poaching

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is planning to take to make an assessment of the feasibility of an anti-poaching taskforce as outlined in the 25-year Environment Plan, published on 11th January 2018.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The 25 Year Environment Plan set out our plans to investigate the feasibility of an anti-poaching taskforce. We will set out next steps and further details in due course.

Incinerators and Landfill: Air Pollution

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take to ensure that operators of (a) landfill sites and (b) incinerators monitor emissions of PM 2.5 and PM 1.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Operators of landfills in England are required to risk assess emissions, including particulate matter. Where the risk assessment shows it is necessary, the environmental permit will require monitoring of particulates in and around the site. The operator may also be required to take steps to control emissions. Environmental permits require incinerator operators to continuously monitor total particulate matter atmospheric emissions, which include all particulate matter, including PM2.5 and PM1. Limits and monitoring are not separated specifically into PM2.5 or PM1 fractions. The regulator will only issue an environmental permit if it is satisfied that the emissions of particulate matter will not have a significant impact on the environment.

Supermarkets: Waste

Dr David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure large supermarkets exceeding a footprint of 400 sq metres tackle food waste as noted by the report of the Government Chief Scientific Advisor, From Waste to Resource Productivity: Evidence and Case Studies, published on 14 December 2017.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: We will continue to support the redistribution of unsold edible and nutritious surplus stock from food businesses to individuals in need. Work to encourage redistribution of surplus food will continue under Courtauld 2025 in the redistribution working group. Business signatories including leading retailers, manufacturers, and food redistribution organisations have agreed an ambition to work collaboratively with the Waste and Resources Action Programme to double the amount of surplus food they redistribute by 2020 against a 2015 baseline of 15,000 tonnes. On 21 December last year the Secretary of State announced a new £0.5 million fund for charities who redistribute surplus food from food businesses to those in need rather than letting it go to waste. The new Food Waste Reduction Fund will provide grants to finance specific projects: fridges or vehicles, IT systems and software, or for training staff and volunteers about food safety skills.

Home Office

Crimes of Violence: Females

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Home Secretary, what steps her Department is taking to tackle violence against Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women and girls.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much her Department allocated to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic VAWG frontline services from the Transformation Fund in the 2016-17 financial year.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how her Department is meeting its statutory obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty in relation to responding to violence against Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BME) women and girls and supporting BME VAWG frontline service providers

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Home Secretary what steps her Department is taking monitor local Commissioners of VAWG services to ensure they are meeting the requirement to provide a broad diversity of service including appropriate specialist services for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic women and girls.

Victoria Atkins: We recognise that some sectors of society can experience multiple forms of discrimination and disadvantage or additional barriers to accessing support, including women and girls from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) communities. The Government’s Ending Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Strategy includes the commitment to promote understanding of the needs of BME women who are victims of VAWG and support commissioners to provide appropriate support.VAWG services are mainly commissioned at a local level as we recognise that Police Crime Commissioners, local authorities and health commissioners are best placed to identify and meet local needs, including those of BME women and girls. However, we also recognise the importance of national standards and in December 2016 we published a VAWG National Statement of Expectations (NSE). The NSE sets out a clear blueprint for local action and is supported by the Commissioning Toolkit to support good local practice. The NSE states that local areas must put the victim at the centre, and have sufficient local specialist support provision, including provision designed specifically to support BME victims, as well as that commissioners should work with local specialist partners, and map out local women’s support groups, including those led by and for BME women. This is in keeping with the Public Sector Equality Duty.Over this spending review period, we are providing £100m of dedicated VAWG funding, inclusive of £17m through the VAWG Service Transformation Fund. The fund, which runs from April 2017 to March 2020, will support, promote and embed the best local practice and drive major change across all services so that early intervention and prevention, not crisis response, is the norm. The Service Transformation Fund is funding 41 projects, of which over £6m is being provided across 14 projects that include specific BME provision. In addition, the Home Office has provided £100k to IMKAAN to help the capability and capacity of BME service providers, and over £2m has been provided through the Tampon Tax to projects that specifically fund specific BME focussed provision.

Police: North West

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how much was spent by (a) Lancashire Constabulary and (b) Greater Manchester Constabulary in (i) 2015, (ii) 2016 and (iii) 2017 on painting rainbow flags and providing other LGBT friendly facilities for police cars.

Mr Nick  Hurd: This information is not collected centrally by the Home Office.How forces deploy resources and equip police vehicles is an operational matter for chief constables.

Lancashire Constabulary: Horses

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, on how many occasions horses from the Lancashire Constabulary were used for activities outside constabulary's area in 2017; what the date, venue and nature of those activities was on each such occasion; and what the cost of each such deployment was.

Mr Nick  Hurd: The Home office does not hold any information centrally on the number of police horses deployed in each constabulary.

Overseas Students

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether her Department has undertaken a societal or cultural cost-benefit analysis on removing non-EU students from their Government's net migration target.

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the level of public support for removing students from the Government's net migration target.

Caroline  Nokes: The Government welcomes the contribution that international students make to the UK economy. We recognise that international students enhance our educational institutions both financially and culturally; enrich the experience of domestic students; and become important ambassadors for the United Kingdom in later life. The Government has recently commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to undertake a study into the costs and benefits of international studentsThere is no limit on the number of international students who can come to the UK and there are no plans to change this. So long as students are compliant with immigration rules they should make a very limited contribution to net migration numbersThe independent Office for National Statistics is responsible for the production of the net migration statistics. In line with the internationally agreed UN definition, these statistics define a migrant as someone changing their normal place of residence for more than a year. Students are therefore included in the same way as other migrants.

Asylum

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many asylum seekers waited over six months for a decision on their asylum application in 2017.

Caroline  Nokes: The Home Office does not publish data relating to the number of cases where a decision has been made after 6 months, however, the data on the number of cases awaiting decision for more than 6 months can be found on the tab ASY 11 in the below link. At the time of release in November 2017, there were 10,529 cases over 6 months old awaiting decision.The Home Office does have a Service Standard to make decisions on 98% of straight forward asylum claims within six months and it has met this standard for the last 39 months.We are aware that the number of older cases awaiting decision is increasing and have plans are in place to reduce this number.Information regarding Asylum data is published as part of the Government’s Transparency agenda the latest release of which can be found at can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/asylum-transparency-data-november-2017

Alcoholic Drinks: Minimum Prices

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will make an assessment of the potential effect of the introduction of minimum unit pricing for alcohol on the number of assaults on emergency service workers.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is clear about the value we place on the role of our police officers and emergency service workers in cutting crime and keeping our communities safe. That is why we are supporting the Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill, which will increase penalties available to those who attack emergency service workers. This Bill sends a clear message that we will not tolerate attacks on emergency service workers.Public Health England's evidence review of the public health burden of alcohol and the cost-effectiveness of alcohol control policies presents strong international evidence to show that price-based interventions can be effective in reducing levels of consumption and the harms associated with alcohol.Minimum Unit Pricing and its effects will continue to remain under review pending the impact of its implementation in Scotland.

Scotland Office

Scotland Office: Edinburgh

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what charges his Department has incurred for parking vehicles in Edinburgh in the last 18 months.

David Mundell: The Scotland Office does not separately record the cost of parking vehicles in Edinburgh from other miscellaneous travel costs.

HM Treasury

EU Nationals: Taxation

Tom Brake: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he estimate the loss in tax revenue from the emigration of non-UK EU citizens between 23 June 2016 and 30 September 2017.

Mel Stride: No such estimate is available.

Income Tax: Scotland

John Lamont: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, when the Scottish Government first informed his Department of its removal of the marriage allowance for couples on the proposed 19p Scottish starter rate of income tax.

Mel Stride: The Scottish government set out its plans for the Scottish income tax system at its draft Budget on 14 December. The UK government has devolved unprecedented income tax powers, to give the Scottish government increased autonomy and accountability over the tax paid by Scottish taxpayers. It is up to them to decide how they use those powers. I can confirm that following the Scottish government’s Budget announcements, the UK government intends to make sure that all Scottish taxpayers who are eligible for Marriage Allowance will continue to benefit, which includes those in the proposed new 19% and 21% bands. We are continuing to work with the Scottish government, and the exact details of how the government will accommodate these new Budget proposals will be shared soon.

Imports: VAT

Lyn Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many companies will be liable for payments of upfront VAT at the point of importation of goods into the UK if the UK leaves the EU VAT area.

Lyn Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps HMRC is taking to provide (a) collection mechanisms, (b) IT systems, and (c) repayments for companies in preparation for the levying of upfront VAT at the point of importation of goods into the UK from the EU if the UK leaves the EU VAT area.

Lyn Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will estimate the cost to the public purse in (a) 2019-2020, (b) 2020-2021 and (c) 2021-2022 of implementing a system of payments of upfront VAT by companies when importing goods into the UK from the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU VAT area on 29 March 2019.

Lyn Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect on small and medium-sized businesses of implementing a system of payments of upfront VAT by companies when importing goods into the UK from the EU in the event that the UK leaves the EU VAT area on 29 March 2019.

Mel Stride: The Government recognises the importance of VAT accounting treatment to business, and is exploring options to mitigate any cash-flow impacts for business as a result of potential changes following EU exit. The Government’s aim is to keep VAT processes as close as possible to what they are now.

Imports: VAT

Lyn Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many companies made declarations on payments of upfront VAT when importing goods into the UK from outside the EU in each of the last five financial years.

Mel Stride: The number of businesses importing goods into the UK from outside the EU is set out at Table 4 of HMRC’s quarterly Trade Statistics publication. https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/RTS/RTS%20Releases/RTS_Q3_2017.xls

VAT

Lyn Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will list those territories that are outside the EU but part of the EU VAT area.

Mel Stride: The Isle of Man; the UK Sovereign Base Areas on the island of Cyprus; and the Principality of Monaco are not formally part of the EU VAT area. They are treated as if they are because of their relationship with the UK, Cyprus and France respectively.

Motorways: Speed Limits

Sir Greg Knight: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money has been raised by average speed cameras, installed on a temporary basis because of roadworks on motorways in England during the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: All revenue generated from speed cameras – through fixed penalty notices issued by local police forces or speeding fines issued by the courts are transferred into the Consolidated Fund, which is regarded as central Government’s current account. Fines are considered a tax-type revenue and Government departments and their agencies are legally obliged to surrender these receipts to the Treasury. Revenue surrendered to this account is usually transferred in bulk and not ring-fenced for any specific area of government spending but will be used towards general government expenditure. This includes Supply payments to government departments which are drawn from the Consolidated Fund in line with amounts voted by Parliament to finance their net expenditure. As a result, we are unable to provide the information you have requested.

Income Tax: Scotland

John Lamont: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposal to raise income tax in Scotland on cross-border trade, employment and the location of businesses.

Mel Stride: The Scottish government announced proposals in December which will raise income tax for many Scottish taxpayers. These decisions are a matter for the Scottish Government, following devolution of unprecedented income tax powers, giving the Scottish government more autonomy and accountability. Therefore, it is for the Scottish Government to decide whether to increase income taxes for Scottish taxpayers. Analysis published by the Scottish Government shows nearly all of the benefit for lower earners in Scotland is a result of personal allowance increases, and that if the UK Government had not increased the personal allowance everyone in Scotland earning over £26,000 would pay more because of these changes. Meanwhile, this UK Government will continue to operate an income tax system that best supports a strong and prosperous UK economy – an economy that has grown continuously for 19 quarters, with a deficit that has been reduced by three quarters since 2010 and an unemployment rate at its lowest in over 40 years. We also continue to support lower earners by cutting income tax. As a result of successive increases to the personal allowance, 1.2m individuals will be taken out of income tax altogether by 2018-19 (compared to 2015-16), and a typical basic rate taxpayer will pay £1,075 less income tax in 2018-19 than in 2010-11.

Imports: UK Trade with EU

Lyn Brown: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an assessment of the effect on small and medium-sized businesses of changes in the costs of importing goods into the UK in the event that the UK leaves the EU customs union on 29 March 2019.

Mel Stride: The Government has been clear that, as we leave the EU, we will also leave the EU customs union. Future customs arrangements are dependent on the outcome of the negotiations with the EU. The Government is engaging with businesses, including small and medium-sized enterprises, in every sector and region of the UK economy to assess the effect of EU Exit on them.

Income Tax: Tax Rates and Bands

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of abolishing the 50p income tax rate.

Mel Stride: The estimated impact of the 50p rate of tax was set out in the HM Revenue and Customs report “The Exchequer effect of the 50 per cent additional rate of income tax”: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140206181159/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/excheq-income-tax-2042.pdf This report showed that the 50p rate was a distortive and economically inefficient way of raising revenue and it did not raise what was expected. It raised at best only £1 billion and at worst could have cost the Exchequer. This is considerably less than the £2.5bn which was expected when introduced by Labour. There has been no new evidence to suggest the conclusions of this report were incorrect.

Cash Dispensing: Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential loss of free-to-use ATMs in (a) North Down, (b) Northern Ireland as a consequence of LINK'S proposal to reduce the interchange free by 20 per cent; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: The Government recognises that widespread free access to cash remains extremely important to the day-to-day lives of many consumers and businesses in the UK, and will continue to work with industry to ensure that this access remains. The Government has not made any formal assessment of the potential effect of LINK’s proposals to change the interchange fee rate on North Down or Northern Ireland. However, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR), which Government set up in 2015 with a statutory objective to ensure that the UK’s payment systems work in the interests of their users, is monitoring developments within ATM provision, and is conducting ongoing internal work on the impact that changes may have. The PSR has committed to using its powers to act should any of the firms it regulates behave in a way that conflicts with its statutory objectives. The Government is engaging regularly with LINK and its members, and they have assured us that industry is committed to maintaining an extensive network of free-to-use cash machines, and to ensuring that the present geographical spread of ATMs is maintained. LINK intends to bolster its Financial Inclusion Programme, which ensures the provision of ATMs in areas of deprivation, where demand would not otherwise make one viable, and has also committed to protecting all free-to-use ATMs which are a kilometre or more from the next nearest free-to-use ATM.

Treasury: Carers

Frank Field: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with caring responsibilities.

Robert Jenrick: The Treasury has a Carer’s Passport policy and process to support employees with caring responsibilities. Treasury policies on flexible working and special leave also provide support for employees with caring responsibilities.

Tax Evasion: Fines

Jo Stevens: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many civil penalties were issued for the evasion of (a) customs duty, (b) community import duty, (c) import VAT, (d) customs duty of a preferential tariff country in the 2017 calendar year.

Mel Stride: HMRC publishes details of its compliance activities in its annual reports, which can be found on GOV.uk. These reports include information on penalties charged in compliance checks.

Revenue and Customs: Proof of Identity

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, on what date HM Revenue and Customs stopped using the GOV.UK Verify service; and for what reasons that decision was taken.

Mel Stride: HMRC has not taken a decision to stop using the GOV.UK Verify service. HMRC is committed to GOV.UK Verify as the single identification service for individuals and believes that HMRC are currently the largest consumer in terms of the number of services connected to GOV.UK Verify. GOV.UK Verify doesn’t currently work for all HMRC customers. HMRC are working closely with Government Digital Service on how to address this so that they can increase adoption. HMRC services that are currently available through GOV.UK Verify include the Personal Tax Account, Self Assessment Tax Return service, and Check your Income Tax.

Debts

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of changes in the level of average household debt in each of the last three years.

John Glen: The level of household debt to income was 136.4% in 2014, 133.0% in 2015 and 136.6% in 2016, the most recent years for which annual data is available. This compares to 152.1% at the start of 2010. The independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC) was set up by the government to assess and mitigate financial stability risks, including from household debt. The FPC has taken action to ensure against a significant rise in highly indebted households.

Debts

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the value of household debt in each of the last three years.

John Glen: The level of household debt to income was 136.4% in 2014, 133.0% in 2015 and 136.6% in 2016, the most recent years for which annual data is available. This compares to 152.1% at the start of 2010. The independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC) was set up by the government to assess and mitigate financial stability risks, including from household debt. The FPC has taken action to ensure against a significant rise in highly indebted households.

Debts

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the value of household debt in each of the last eight years.

John Glen: The level of annual household debt to income for the most recent eight years in which the data is available is as follows:2016 – 136.60%2015 – 132.96%2014 – 136.41%2013 – 137.77%2012 – 141.39%2011 – 146.74%2010 – 149.96%2009 – 151.40% The current level of household debt to income (Q3 2017) is 138%, compared to 152.1% at the start of 2010. The independent Financial Policy Committee (FPC) was set up by the government to assess and mitigate financial stability risks, including from household debt. The FPC has taken action to ensure against a significant rise in highly indebted households.

Debts

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, by what date the Government plans to introduce a statutory breathing space scheme for household debt.

John Glen: The Government has set out a clear timeline for the next stages of implementing a statutory breathing space scheme.A Call for Evidence on the scheme closed on 16th January, and officials are now working on the development of the policy. The Government will consult on a single policy proposal in the middle of this year.

Debts: Inflation

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether his Department has commissioned recent research on the effect of inflation on household debt.

John Glen: The department has commissioned no such research. The independent Monetary Policy Committee has the primary objective of maintaining price stability. This objective is defined as an inflation target of 2% as measured by the twelve month increase in the Consumer Prices Index. Households’ financial positions have improved since the financial crisis: Household net financial wealth as a share of income is close to record highs; the debt to income ratio is significantly below pre-crisis levels; and debt interest payments as a share of income are at a record low.

Public Sector: Pay

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse for social security of the public sector pay cap in each year since 2013.

Elizabeth Truss: Public sector workers earning below £21,000 were protected from the pay freeze in 2011/12 and 2012/13, and received £250 annual increases. In addition, the government has supported those with lower incomes by increasing the personal allowance from £6,475 in 2010-11 to £11,850 in 2018-19, rising to £12,500 by the end of this Parliament. Welfare spending in Great Britain on people of working age and children has fallen, in real terms, from £102.0bn in 2012/13 to £94.3bn in 2017/18.

Minimum Wage: Arrears

Caroline Lucas: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 11 January 2018 to Question 120608, on Minimum Wage, how many employers HMRC initiated civil action against in pursuit of unpaid minimum wage arrears in each year since 2010; and what the total sum of unpaid minimum wage arrears recovered through civil action is.

Mel Stride: The government are determined that everyone who is entitled to the National Minimum and National Living Wage (NMW) receives it. Anyone who feels they have been underpaid NMW should contact the Acas helpline on 0300 123 1100. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) review all complaints that are referred to them. HMRC actively pursues recovery through the civil courts if the arrears are not paid. The table below shows the number of employers HMRC initiated civil action against to recover unpaid minimum wage arrears due to workers:YearNo of employers HMRC have initiated civil action against2010/11882011/12802012/13602013/14522014/15572015/161082016/1787  HMRC is unable to provide a total sum for civil recovery across all cases, as it does not hold this data in a readily available format.

Companies: Climate Change

Mary Creagh: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on encouraging companies to take up the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.

John Glen: HM Treasury recognises the important role data and transparency play in ensuring the accurate pricing of climate-related financial risk. That is why the government has officially endorsed the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and encouraged publicly listed firms to implement them, in line with the TCFD’s voluntary approach. To support this, the private sector Green Finance Taskforce, which was launched by HM Treasury and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, has also been asked to consider if government should and could play a role in enabling and facilitating the implementation of the TCFD recommendations. The implementation of the TCFD recommendations is a cross-cutting workstream of the Green Finance Taskforce, the Terms of Reference of which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/green-finance Participants from across the financial services industry have given feedback on implementing the recommendations, including potential government action to encourage uptake. The Taskforce’s report is due to be published in spring 2018 and will include TCFD-related considerations.

Personal Savings: Tax Allowances

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the amount lost to the public purse as a result of the Personal Savings Allowance in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18 to date.

Mel Stride: HMRC publish the estimated costs of principal tax reliefs: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/579720/Dec_16_Main_Reliefs_Final.pdf The estimated cost of the personal savings allowance in 2016-17 is £370m. The next version of this publication covering 2017-18 will be published later in the year.

Public Bodies: Subsidiary Companies

Dr David Drew: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department has made of the number of public bodies that have created subsidiary companies with the intention of reducing VAT liability.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for the administration of VAT, and is unable to disclose information on the VAT liabilities of specific taxpayers due to its duty of maintaining taxpayer confidentiality.

Revenue and Customs: Training

Anneliese Dodds: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the Answer of 20 December 2017 to Question 118847, what proportion of HM Revenue and Customs staff were engaged with their Learning Framework in the last 12 months; and which specialist areas those staff engaged with most frequently in that time period.

Mel Stride: The ‘learning framework’ referred to in Question 118847 covers a range of learning programmes for new recruits as well as professional development opportunities for current staff to support them to maintain, and grow, their skills and knowledge. Each learning programme and development opportunity will be tailored to provide specific skills for the role and tax regime. So the time spent, and the activity undertaken, will vary depending on the role and the individual’s own knowledge and experience. New recruits to tax roles have an induction programme which will be followed by technical and operational training which can take between 26 weeks and 30 months depending upon the level of specialist knowledge required. Current staff have a development plan which supports their ongoing professional development and provides at least 5 days each year to keep their skills up to date. The content of the development plan will be driven by the requirements of the tax regime and their particular role.

Pedicabs: Tax Collection

Mrs Anne Main: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate his Department had made of amount of tax collected from self-employed pedicab riders in the last five years.

Mel Stride: HMRC is unable to provide the information requested as it is not held in a readily available form.

Company Liquidations

Justin Madders: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many winding-up orders HMRC has issued in each of the last 10 years.

Mel Stride: HMRC will always offer practical support to viable businesses and will only petition the High Court for a Winding up Order where this cannot be avoided. The number of petitions granted in each tax year is as follows: 2007/08 3,3042008/09 3,2572009/10 2,5712010/11 2,4082011/12 3,3992012/13 2,5412013/14 2,4232014/15 2,5822015/16 1,8492016/17 2,1452017/18* 1,325*Figures for 2017-18 are for April to December inclusive only

House Insurance: Competition

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what representations he has received on the loyalty penalty faced by consumers who do not switch home insurance providers; and if he will make a statement.

John Glen: HM Treasury regularly engages with a diverse group of people about the insurance sector. The government is focussed on ensuring that the insurance industry functions well for everyone. Insurance firms are required to treat customers fairly under the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). New FCA rules on consumer insurance policy renewals, introduced in April 2017, will encourage consumers to shop around instead of renewing their policy automatically. The FCA will monitor the effect of the rules and the government will ask the FCA to consider further intervention if necessary.

Children: Day Care

Peter Dowd: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many parents have accessed tax-free child care since April 2017.

Elizabeth Truss: I refer the honourable member to my Written Statement (HCWS401), made on 15 January which contains the number of parents with a Tax-Free Childcare account.

PAYE: Disclosure of Information

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January 2018 to Question 90331, what estimate he has made of how many RTI returns are (a) late, (b) missing, and (c) incorrect.

Stephen Timms: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 16 January to Question 90331, that the Late, Missing and Incorrect joint initiative between his Department and Department for Work and Pensions on PAYE Real Time Information believes that around 5% or 6% of RTI returns are late, missing or incorrect, by when he expects to reduce those proportions; and if he will make a statement.

Mel Stride: Further to previous answers I have given on this topic, HMRC currently believes that roughly 5-6% of RTI returns are late, and about 1% are missing. HMRC does not currently have an estimate for how many are incorrect. HMRC set up the Late, Missing and Incorrect initiative jointly with DWP on 1 November 2017 to investigate all these areas and find ways of improving them. The work of the Late, Missing and Incorrect initiative will be monitored and HMRC expects to see a reduction in the proportions over time.

Electronic Commerce: Statistics

Sir Nicholas Soames: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what progress his Department has made on improving the quality of statistics available to quantify levels of e-commerce.

John Glen: The government commissioned Professor Sir Charles Bean to carry out an Independent Review of UK Economic Statistics, which reported in March 2016. Since then, the government has invested over £10m to enable the Office for National Statistics to develop world-leading analytical and digital capabilities in economic measurement in line with the review’s recommendations. For example, with the proportion of retail sales occurring online increasing to over one in six, from under one in twenty in 2008, it is crucial that economic statistics keep track of such a large and growing marketplace. The ONS is working closely with the OECD and Eurostat to explore new ways to capture trade via e-commerce. The evolving market place for goods and services requires improved international understanding of how these trades are carried out, whilst at the same time keeping the burden on business to a minimum.

Defibrillators: VAT

Thelma Walker: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what plans his Department has to review legislation related to VAT paid on community-purchased defibrillators after the UK leave the EU.

Mel Stride: The current legal framework limits the VAT exemptions we can apply to defibrillators. Although there may be opportunities to make changes to the VAT system in the future there will be no immediate changes to our relationship with the EU until we have left. However, we recognise that provision of defibrillators could help those who have a cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting. The government maintains several VAT reliefs to aid purchases of defibrillators, including purchases made by local authorities and those made through voluntary contributions which are donated to eligible charities or the NHS.

Revenue and Customs: Staff

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many staff were employed in (a) HM Revenue and Customs; and (b)  departments of HM Revenue & Customs in each of the last ten years; and what the budget for each of those departments was in each of those years.

Mel Stride: HM Revenue & Customs publishes staffing numbers and budgets each year in its Annual Report and Accounts, including the core department and agency information. The information is available at the following links:2012-13 to 2016-17https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrcs-annual-report-and-accounts Earlier yearshttp://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk///about/reports.htm

Export Controls: Arrests

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many arrests have been made under the provisions of the Export Control Order 2008 in each year since that Order came into effect; how many charging decisions have been received on such breaches from the CPS; on what dates such decisions were received; and how many criminal convictions have resulted from each such charging decision.

Mel Stride: There have been five arrests made for trafficking and brokering offences arising under the provisions of the Export Control Order 2008. One of those arrests has resulted in a conviction. Of the remainder, one has resulted in a decision not to charge, one has resulted in a compound penalty and the remaining two will shortly be referred for a charging decision.It is important to note that the action HMRC takes in respect of breaches of export controls will depend on the nature and seriousness of any offence, and that action is not limited to investigation with a view to prosecution.

Carillion

Dame Cheryl Gillan: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the financial effect on the High Speed Two project of Carillion entering liquidation; and if he will he publish that assessment.

Elizabeth Truss: HS2 Ltd has no direct contract with Carillion. Carillion was awarded two Main Works Civil Contracts as part of a joint venture with Kier and Eiffage, who have provided HS2 Ltd with assurances that, in the event of a member of the group being unable to deliver on its responsibilities, the remaining members, now Effiage and Keir, would fill the gap. HS2 Ltd is continuing to discuss with Kier and Eiffage the implementation of contingency plans. Work will continue as planned with no additional exposure to the taxpayer.

Department for Exiting the European Union

Department for Exiting the European Union: Travel

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how much his Department has spent on (a) taxis, (b) first class train tickets and (c) business class air travel in each quarter since his Department was established.

Mr Robin Walker: Taxis are booked in line with the Department’s expenses policy and are claimed via a manual expenses process. This information is not distinguishable within the central financial system. Some First Class train travel may also be claimed via manual expenses and is not included in the information below. The Department for Exiting the European Union always seeks to achieve value for money for the taxpayer and has therefore adopted a policy where, by default, all rail journeys should be Standard Class. First Class tickets are only permitted if they are cheaper than Standard Class tickets or in certain other limited circumstances. Prior to Quarter 1 (April) 2017, the information was released by the Cabinet Office in answer to written parliamentary question UIN 121021 as the Department for Exiting the European Union used the Cabinet Office travel contract and system. The following information is available between April and October 2017 taken from the travel provider’s system:  Quarter 1Quarter 2Quarter 3First Class train travel£0£187£515Business Class air travel£14,209.25£38,943.60£26,355.58

Department for Exiting the European Union: Brexit

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2018 to Question 120796, on Department for Exiting the European Union: Brexit, what other analysis forms the Government's comprehensive programme of analytical work aside from the sector reports.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, pursuant to the Answer of 10 January 2018 to Question 120796, in what form the range of quantitative and qualitative analysis looking at the implications of EU Exit on the domestic economy (a) exist and (b) is available.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will list the assessments conducted by the Market Access team in his Department on the effect of the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what information his Department plans to publish on the effect of the UK leaving the EU on different sectors of the economy in addition to that information released by his Department on 27 November 2017 before any Parliamentary vote on (a) the UK's withdrawal agreement or (b) a UK-EU trade deal.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, if he will list the titles of all assessments undertaken by his Department's Market Access team on the UK leaving the EU.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, how many studies his Department has conducted on the economic effect of the UK leaving the EU.

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what the titles are of the studies his Department has conducted on the effect on small businesses of the UK leaving the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the European Union is undertaking a comprehensive programme of analytical work across a range of scenarios. We are examining all areas of the UK economy from a number of perspectives and seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders. As part of this, we have looked at 58 sectors of the economy, as set out in our response to the Lords EU External Affairs Sub-committee report “Brexit: Trade in Goods” which can be found at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201617/ldselect/ldeucom/129/129.pdf. We will continue to engage with businesses and industry bodies from all sectors of the economy, and all regions and nations of the UK, in order to inform our negotiations with the EU. We have published 14 detailed papers on the negotiations to date and will continue to be as open as possible subject to the overwhelming national interest of preserving our negotiating position. Ministers have a specific responsibility, which Parliament has endorsed, not to release information that would undermine our negotiating position. 



Brexit: Trade in Goods
(PDF Document, 1.78 MB)

Community Transit

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what progress has been made on negotiations for the inclusion of the UK as a separate contracting party to the Common Transit Convention.

Mr Robin Walker: The Customs Future Partnership Paper published in August 2017 sets out our objectives for a future customs relationship with the EU, and the two approaches that most closely meet these objectives. The paper indicated UK membership of the CTC could form part of our potential future relationship with the EU. Having moved beyond the first phase of the negotiations, the Government looks forward to negotiating the UK's future customs relationship with the European Union.

Members: Correspondence

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, when he plans to respond to the two letters from the hon. Member for West Lancashire dated 13 October 2017.

Mr Steve Baker: Responses have now been sent.

Brexit

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on conducting market access assessments for when the UK leaves the EU.

Mr Robin Walker: The Department for Exiting the European Union is working with all departments at both ministerial and official level to make sure that our preparations for our exit from and new partnership with the EU are on track. The Secretary of State continues to have regular conversations with Cabinet colleagues on all aspects of exiting the EU.

Department for International Trade

Burma: Overseas Trade

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what advice his Department gives to UK companies on investment in Burma.

Greg Hands: I refer the hon Member for Rotherham to the answer given by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Investment (Mark Garnier) to the hon Member for Hornsey and Wood Green on 12 December UIN: 117224.

Malawi: Trade Promotion

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment his Department has made of the potential benefits of appointing a UK trade envoy to Malawi; and whether his Department plans to do so.

Greg Hands: Prime Minister’s Trade Envoys engage with markets where substantial trade and investment opportunities have been identified by UK government.The Prime Minister currently has ten Trade Envoys appointed to countries in Africa. They play an important role in enhancing the trade and investment work carried out by our teams on the ground, supporting UK companies exporting and investing in Africa and helping to make progress in efforts to tackle market access barriers. The Department for International Trade does not currently have a presence in Malawi, where the commercial relationship is relatively small. There are no plans to appoint a Trade Envoy to Malawi at this time.

Department for International Trade: Carers

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with caring responsibilities.

Greg Hands: The Department for International Trade is intending to develop a carers policy from the carers charter currently being developed by Civil Service Employee Policy, based in the Cabinet Office.The Department is committed to supporting caring responsibilities of its workforce. This has been a key priority in the department in its first year of operation.To this end, activities to date have included: provision special leave and unpaid career breaks set out in the department’s special leave policy; developing new policies for staff including flexible working, caring responsibilities, parental leave and career breaks; setting up employee networks; offering access to childcare vouchers and play schemes.Finally, the department offers an Employee Assistance programme to support staff. This is accessible 365 days a year and includes resources on coping with stress, leading a healthy life and counselling.

Department of Trade and Industry: Public Appointments

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, who the full members of the Board of Trade are.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when the Board of Trade plans next to meet.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the agenda is for the next meeting of the Board of Trade.

Graham Stuart: The new Board of Trade is led by the President of the Board of Trade. The Secretaries of State for the Territorial Offices and other Department for International Trade Ministers have a standing invitation to attend the meetings. The work of the Board of Trade is supported by a group of Advisers. A full list of the Advisers to the Board of Trade can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/international-trade-secretary-dr-liam-fox-convenes-a-new-board-of-trade-to-ensure-the-benefits-of-free-trade-are-spread-throughout-the-ukThe next meeting of the Board of Trade will take place in the first quarter of 2018.The purpose of the Board of Trade is to support businesses and spread the benefits of trade and investment to all parts of the United Kingdom by maximising the positive impact of the support that HMG provides to English regions, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Trade Agreements

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether it is his Department's policy that provisions on trade in services in any existing EU free trade agreements that are transitioned after the UK leaves the EU will be governed by EU regulations.

Greg Hands: Our aim is to replicate as far as possible the effects of existing trade arrangements with other countries after the UK leaves the EU. We are engaging with our trading partners to agree how best to achieve this continuity, including in relation to any implementation.

EU Trade

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of whether the adoption of existing EU Free Trade Agreements with third party countries can only happen with the agreement of the EU and those countries.

Greg Hands: The Government is discussing how best to secure continuity of the effects of existing EU trade agreements with partner countries, and is looking at each agreement on a case by case basis.This work will take into account the terms and timing of any implementation period agreed with the EU, so that we can provide certainty, continuity and stability in our trade and investment relationships for businesses and consumers.

Trade Agreements

Mr Roger Godsiff: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 15 January to Question 121983, if he will list each of the 14 trade working groups and 21 countries; and where that information has previously been made public.

Greg Hands: Trade Working Groups have been set up with the following partners: Andean Community (comprising Peru, Colombia and Ecuador), Australia, Canada, China, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) (comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and UAE), Israel, India, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Turkey and the USA. Individual announcements and statements are available on the department’s website.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Horse Racing: Scotland

John Lamont: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what estimate his Department has made of the contribution of the horseracing industry to the economy in Scotland.

Tracey Crouch: The Government recognises the valuable contribution horseracing makes to rural economies across Britain. A recent economic impact study commissioned by Scottish Racing found that the Scottish horseracing industry generated £302 million in revenues in 2016, sustains 3,430 jobs, and generates £30m of tax revenues per annum. Further detail is provided in Scottish Racing’s 2016 Annual Review: http://www.scottishracing.co.uk/annual-review/In April 2017 the Government implemented reforms to the Horserace Betting Levy, which extended the Levy to offshore online operators. This is expected to result in a significant increase in Levy income for the benefit of the sport across the whole of Britain.

National Lottery

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on the proportion of the price of an entry to the (a) Lotto, (b) Lotto Hotpicks, (c) Thunderball, (d) Euromillions, (e) Online Instant Wins, (f) UK Millionaire Maker and (g) Millionaire Raffle National Lottery games which goes to charity.

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on the proportion of the price of (a) Monopoly Millionaire 2018, (b) Pay Out, (c) Santa’s Millions 2017, (d) Stocking Filler, (e) Triple Lucky 7s, (f) £1 Million Monopoly, (g) £1 Million Purple, (h) £100 Cash Spectacular Yellow, (i) £100,000 Monopoly, (j) £100,000 Red, (k) £4 Million Blue, (l) £250 Million Cash Spectacular, (m) 20X Cash Red, (n) Bingo Blue, (o) Cashword Pink and (p) £250,000 Exclusive National Lottery scratch-cards which goes to charity.

Tracey Crouch: Rates of return to good causes from the National Lottery vary by game and sales channel, with an additional 5% returned from online purchases as retailer commission is not paid. The percentage returns to good causes in 2016/17 from draw-based games were: GamePercentage to good causesLotto31%Lotto Hotpicks29%Thunderball26%EuroMillions29%(Source: Gambling Commission) The UK Millionaire Maker and the Millionaire Raffle are elements of the EuroMillions and Lotto games respectively, and their contributions to good causes are included in the above figures. Scratchcards return between 4% - 17% and interactive instant-win games return between 10% - 22% depending on the structure of the game. The Department does not hold information on returns for individual games.

Charity Commission: Public Appointments

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what the selection criteria were for the most recent round of appointments to the board of the Charities Commission.

Tracey Crouch: Candidates for the Legal Trustee Role, which was advertised in the most recent round of appointments to the board of the Charity Commission, were assessed against the following selection criteria which were published on the Centre for Public Appointments website when the vacancy was advertised: Established reputation as a leader in the field of charity lawA strong understanding of high risk, high impact or novel legal issues within the charitable sectorKnowledge of the Commission’s regulatory powers and how it can best fulfil its statutory objectives throughout its operationStrong intellectual and analytical abilityA commitment to and understanding of the charity sector’s effective, independent, proportionate, and impartial regulationPersonal integrity, demonstrable independence and attitudes consistent with the expectations of senior public office.

Charity Commission: Public Appointments

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many people applied for positions in the most recent round of appointments to the board of the Charity Commission.

Tracey Crouch: Eleven individuals applied for the Charity Commission Legal Trustee role, which was advertised in the most recent round of appointments to the board of the Charity Commission.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Carers

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether his Department has a carer's policy for its employees; and what other steps his Department has taken to support employees with caring responsibilities.

Tracey Crouch: DCMS has a Foster Carers’ & Family and Friends Carers’ Leave policy to support employees who care for children under a fostering or family and friends care arrangement. The DCMS Special leave policy sets out the provision and entitlements to paid special leave and unpaid career breaks to support employees. The department has a Flexible working policy in place to support employees’ work-life balance particularly those with caring responsibilities.DCMS has a Care and Share Network which aims to support employees with caring responsibilities. The network has a dedicated intranet page with information about the monthly events. The intranet also has information about the Carer’s passport which is a Charity for Civil Servants initiative to help civil servants with specific caring responsibilities. It is a toolkit to help line managers and carers record information about how the individual’s responsibilities impact their work with agreed solutions to support the individual.DCMS employees have access to advice and counselling through the Employee Assistance programme.DCMS will be adopting the Carers’ Charter being developed by the Civil Service Employee Policy once this is launched.

Sports: Young People

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department has made of the level of access to indoor sport facilities for young people living in Lower Layer Super Output Areas.

Tracey Crouch: Through the Active Places Power database, Sport England maps community sports facilities, including those in educational establishments. Information on the database is available at the following link, and can be broken down by region www.activeplacespower.com .

Telecommunications: Religious Freedom

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the letter sent to her by the chair of Ofcom regarding the Communications Acts 2003, 27(6), if she will make it her policy to extend the Communications Acts 2003, 27(6), to include all equality strands covered in the Equality Act 2010, specifically religion or belief.

Margot James: Our media should reflect the population as a whole. The government believes that broadcasters should be leading the way on improving diversity monitoring in support of this goal, including by voluntarily providing data across all of the equality strands to Ofcom. It is right that voluntary approaches are fully explored before legislative change is considered, and the government urges all parties to work together to improve monitoring of diversity levels. Government will continue to work closely with Ofcom on this matter.

Northern Ireland Office

Fraud: Northern Ireland

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many arrests there have been in connection with fuel fraud in Northern Ireland between 1 April 2017 and 31 December 2017.

Mr Shailesh Vara: HMRC confirm that there have been 3 arrests for fuel fraud between 1 April 2017 and 31 December 2017. The UK Government is committed to tackling fuel fraud in Northern Ireland and works closely with partners across the UK and Ireland under the auspices of the Northern Ireland Organised Crime Task Force (OCTF) and the Joint Agency Task Force. The Joint Agency Task Force was established by the Fresh Start Agreement to enhance efforts to tackle cross border organised crime and to bring to justice those involved in it.